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Santa: The Life and Legend of Saint Nicholas
The Life and Legend of Saint Nicholas
by Robert Bowden
What if the real Santa Claus wasn’t a fairy tale at all, but a flesh-and-blood man whose courage and kindness changed the world?
Long before the red suit and reindeer, there was Nicholas of Myra, a young bishop from a seaside city in the ancient Roman world. He faced persecution, prison, and heresy, yet never stopped giving, never stopped believing, and never stopped loving. His secret gifts of gold saved a family from slavery. His prayers calmed storms at sea. His defense of Christ’s divinity at the Council of Nicaea helped shape the faith we still profess today.
In this rich and engaging narrative, Robert Bowden brings the true story of Saint Nicholas to life for modern readers. Once a Baptist pastor and lifelong biker known by the road name “Santa,” Bowden writes with the heart of a storyteller and the mind of a theologian. He weaves history, faith, and personal reflection into a captivating journey that begins in the early Church and travels through centuries of legend, from Saint Nicholas to Father Christmas to Santa Claus.
You will walk through candlelit catacombs and crowded marketplaces, feel the salt air of Myra’s harbor, and witness the first great council where Nicholas stood for truth when it mattered most. You will see how his story survived persecution, reformation, and commercialization, always returning to the same simple generosity is holy.
This book explores how the real Saint Nicholas became the world’s most enduring symbol of joy, how myths were born from miracles, and how one man’s love for Christ became a legacy that still fills hearts every December.
Both historical and devotional, The Life and Legend of Saint Nicholas invites you to rediscover the heart of Christmas through the eyes of the saint who lived it first.
If you have ever wondered who Santa Claus really is, if you long to find the sacred behind the sparkle, or if you simply want to feel the warmth of faith restored in the middle of winter, this is the story you have been waiting for.
Nicholas reminds us that joy is not a marketing slogan. It is the fruit of faith, the courage to give, and the quiet act of slipping hope through someone’s window when the world has gone dark.
by Robert Bowden
What if the real Santa Claus wasn’t a fairy tale at all, but a flesh-and-blood man whose courage and kindness changed the world?
Long before the red suit and reindeer, there was Nicholas of Myra, a young bishop from a seaside city in the ancient Roman world. He faced persecution, prison, and heresy, yet never stopped giving, never stopped believing, and never stopped loving. His secret gifts of gold saved a family from slavery. His prayers calmed storms at sea. His defense of Christ’s divinity at the Council of Nicaea helped shape the faith we still profess today.
In this rich and engaging narrative, Robert Bowden brings the true story of Saint Nicholas to life for modern readers. Once a Baptist pastor and lifelong biker known by the road name “Santa,” Bowden writes with the heart of a storyteller and the mind of a theologian. He weaves history, faith, and personal reflection into a captivating journey that begins in the early Church and travels through centuries of legend, from Saint Nicholas to Father Christmas to Santa Claus.
You will walk through candlelit catacombs and crowded marketplaces, feel the salt air of Myra’s harbor, and witness the first great council where Nicholas stood for truth when it mattered most. You will see how his story survived persecution, reformation, and commercialization, always returning to the same simple generosity is holy.
This book explores how the real Saint Nicholas became the world’s most enduring symbol of joy, how myths were born from miracles, and how one man’s love for Christ became a legacy that still fills hearts every December.
Both historical and devotional, The Life and Legend of Saint Nicholas invites you to rediscover the heart of Christmas through the eyes of the saint who lived it first.
If you have ever wondered who Santa Claus really is, if you long to find the sacred behind the sparkle, or if you simply want to feel the warmth of faith restored in the middle of winter, this is the story you have been waiting for.
Nicholas reminds us that joy is not a marketing slogan. It is the fruit of faith, the courage to give, and the quiet act of slipping hope through someone’s window when the world has gone dark.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2025
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