Walking Backwards to Christmas

by Stephen Cottrell

Using the simple device of telling the Christmas story backwards, Stephen Cottrell helps us encounter it as if for the first time.

Genres: Christmas, Theology, Nonfiction

114 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

The Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell is Church of England Bishop of Chelmsford, and a prolific and much-loved author. He is a co-creator of the Emmaus course and a co-author of the Pilgrim course.

Reviews

[Adam Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent retelling of the Christmas story by the current archbishop of York. The structure of the book is eleven chapters each of which, bar one is narrated in the first person by a named Biblical character. The opening chapter starts with the presentation in the Temple and the story is told by Anna who is a prophetess living in the Temple. Each chapter works backwards to the Nativity and then further back to Isaiah and finally Moses. Each starts with a Biblical quotation and then the named character tells his or her story. The only character who is not actually named in the Bible is Martha the inn keeper's wife. The book highlights and brings to life not only the well known aspects of the Christmas story but also the darker side such as the slaughter of the innocents. It is an essential read for this season.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

One may not copyright a title. We learned that in my Intellectual Property course at the University of Washington School of Law. There is no conflict between a 1956 Spike Milligan song sung by the Goons and called "I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas" and a 2013 book by Church of England Bishop Stephen Cottrell entitled "Walking Backward to Christmas." The first is about an immigrant lad who falls in love with an Irish girl who leaves him in England and returns to Ireland. The second is a retelling of the Christmas story in reverse order, beginning with proud parents Joseph and Mary bringing Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem and following the story back to the prophecies of Isaiah and Moses. The Bishop of Chelmsford is an excellent writer who relates the Christmas story in the mouths of the people who experienced it, as famous as Casper (one of the Magi) and as anonymous as Martha (the wife of the innkeeper who had no room for the Holy Family). This book was a Christmas present last year from the deacon with whom I am privileged to be yoked in parochial ministry. He and his wonderful wife found it a refreshing way to look again and anew at the meaning of the Christmas story. It was first published in the Mother Country by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in 2014 and the republished in the United States in 2015 by Westminster John Knox Press in paperback.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book, based on an intriguing idea, but I am not sure that it really works. Some of the chapters are really thought-provoking, the point in the story at which we hear from the various characters is not always obvious and there are some lovely, very quotatable sentences. The book certainly prompted interesting discussions at our Advent book group.

But the main thing I have taken away from it is the fundamental incompatibility of the two birth narratives in the Gospels; if, as stated, the wise men spent several months travelling, why on earth were the Holy Family still in the stable at Bethlehem???


I also found it odd that +Stephen felt so free to make up the stories of the NT characters but not the OT; the chapters on Isaiah and Moses were very dry compared to David the shepherd and Martha.
I also felt that the book does not always feel Anglican. If the Bishop does not believe in the Immaculate Conception, why does he emphasise the uniqueness of Mary's relationship with God before the Annunciation? Also, given how honest and forthcoming his Elizabeth is, her silence on one event is just weird - unless we are meant to believe that John the Baptist was also divinely conceived.

[Rachel Bonnington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here, Stephen Cottrell takes the familiar Christmas story that so many of us know from Christmas carols and tells it backwards, helping us encounter it as if for the first time. We enter into the darkness of the Holy Innocents, and weep along with Rachel for her tiny son, slaughtered in front of her own eyes. We join with Elizabeth in joy as she anticipates her longed-for child, and with Mary in her delight in the beauty of nature, and in God.

On the other hand, some bits didn't really work for me. I found the repeated references to the cold, bleak midwinter somewhat jarring, and the chapters on Moses and Herod a little dry compared to the creativity employed for Martha or Elizabeth.

Overall, a great book that will hopefully help you to get underneath the skin of a story you thought you knew inside out, and to begin to see yourself within the narrative.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anybody wanting fresh viewpoint on Christmas. The author takes us on a more intimate journey through the Christmas story in what could be seen as the wrong direction and is yet enlightening and thought provoking. We interact with characters in a deep and personal way which the basic gospel stories don't explore. My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is that having gone back to Moses I did not feel a strong enough explanation was given for his connection with Christmas.A Christian should know it but it may not be clear to a non-Christian.

[Rachel Quinlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful look at the Christmas stories through different characters, but reflecting backwards - starting with Anna, Rachel, Herod, going back through some lesser known characters and ending with Isaiah and Moses.
Looking at the corresponding bible text and then walking in the shoes of that person, with what they may have been thinking at the time, and their reflections on what was happening, and could come to pass.
It was good to reflect on some of the lesser known individuals, for example, the innkeeper’s wife, one of the shepherds, one of the wise men, as well as Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph.
Wonderful to read around Christmas, when we’re at the heart of the story.

[David Meldrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, and found it a helpful way to prepare myself for Christmas - but not quite as much as I'd hoped it would. Each short chapter is a first-person story from the point of view of a real, or implied, character from the Biblical nativity narrative. Starting after the birth, and moving backwards as far as Moses, the idea is to give us a broad view of God's bigger purposes. Inevitably, some chapters work better than others; also inevitably there's the risk of reading into the Biblical text things that aren't there - especially 21st century Western perspectives. But it's a helpful read - probably a good basis for a small group discussion; and it's good to see a seasonal book that's not for Lent - advent as a season tends not to receive as much attention as it perhaps should.

[Catharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm considering offering this as an Advent study suggestion at my parish, but wavering a bit. The author is probably right that this makes a better subject for a single-meeting discussion than it does for a week-by-week group. A valuable question for each chapter might be, "how I am like this person?" (i.e., how am I like the narrator of this chapter?).

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my house group during advent.
Stephen Cottrell is a fine writer and his book chronicling the Christmas Story in reverse gives his reader a very human insight using the voices and perspectives of a whole array of characters.
It provoked a lot of lively discussion and questions and was a timely reminder of the real meaning of Christmas

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in a group and was interesting to hear others interpretation

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great idea the author had in doing this - really insightful. I am now going to purchase an Easter study

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely way to reconnect with a well known story

[Christopher Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really interesting idea that wasn’t executed in a way that was super interesting to me. The author clearly has a great background in biblical literature, but I didn’t find the chapters compelling.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a lovely book. It is a wonderfully engaging and unique re-telling of the Christmas story. It begins when Mary and Joseph are presenting baby Jesus if the temple and goes back to the prophesies of Isaiah and Moses. It's an interesting way of telling the story, but what is so great about it is the writing and the characters.

The story is told with each chapter depicting a different perspective from the people involved, from the shepherds to King Herod to Mary, and several others. Each person's story makes a deep and lasting impression, causing one to consider the deeper meanings of the Christmas story. Would be great as an annual holiday reading. Highly recommended.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a variable book. Some bits will rip your heart out and make cry, whilst other bits are a bit meh. Overall though, this is a good starting point for reflections over advent, and was used by a number of us for #adventbookclub on Twitter in 2014. Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of the people involved in the Christmas story, starting with Anna in the temple and finishing with Moses (hence the walking backwards bit). The title was inspired by the Goons song. Do not be deceived by this apparent frivolity: strong emotions lie here and Rachel's story is harrowing.

[Fayelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so different from any other advent or Christmas book I've ever read. Wow. SO GOOD, such a beautiful read - it connected the path from Moses to Christ's birth and beyond. But went backwards, which seemed to offer new insight, like an all knowing nod because we already know the mystery. I loved it.

[Heather Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

superb.

[Rodie King]

Have reached P12 Anna chapter 1 25.10.24 P 22 enjoyed chapter 2 Rachel
Just finished Moses, ended with two good prayers
good discussion re Elizabeth