Bethlehem, the Year Jesus Was Born: Unwrapping the Theology Behind Christmas

by Scott Douglas

★★★  The story of Christmas like you’ve never heard before  ★★★

The Bible teaches us the real story of Christmas. The problem is people have taken this story and added on to it. Cultures have added on to it. It’s passed through countries, and they’ve tacked on their little spin.

We have thousands of years of a Christmas that is built around legends and myths. The Christmas we know is, in places, more a fairytale. It’s an inspiring one for sure. But a fairytale, nonetheless.

When you begin to unwrap the many layers of the first Christmas, you begin to see that there’s more to Christmas than meets the eye. God is giving us a message—a gift to unwrap. This book helps us slow down and unpack the layers so we can see just how beautiful this gift really is.

This is the story of Christmas. God’s gift to us.

This book is a stand-alone title of the Organic Faith series.

Genres: Christian, Christmas, Religion, Faith, Nonfiction, Audiobook, History

107 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2020

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very thought provoking. Though he brought up some things I had already learned (which may be new to some readers), there were a lot of other things that I did not previously know or consider. I think this is a great book to read around Christmas or any time. I am planning on going through this book with my kids during the Christmas season to better bring worship and Christ into our celebrations.

My only complaint about this book is that the humor wasn't really funny and took away from the spiritual feeling that I got from this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carolyn Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought it was going to be one of those books so dense and full of ten dollar words it is impossible to read. I was wrong. It was written in everyday language and clearly explained facts not previously know about the birth of Jesus. I was able to read it in one sitting. The end of book explains the origins of Santa Claus as well as how the traditions of our Christmas celebrations evolved.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good insights in this---Such as, "To walk with God isn't to understand God; to walk with God is to trust God." (About Mary) And "Simeon teaches us that promises come on God's time and not ours. We have to patiently await the arrival of what has been promised." (About Simeon). Interesting and easy to read, with a gentle dose of humor.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who haven't read much about the biblical Christmas story, this is a good introduction. At times, he goes into conjecture, but always with a clear warning that he is doing just that. He does a good job covering the broad range of topics surrounding the story, touching on the tender and the sensitive, the poignant and the ugly.

[TiAja Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

This book was a great read for anyone who is even mildly interested in the"Christmas Story. " Scott Douglas makes the entire topic both interesting and entertaining. His sense of humor will have you laughing out loud while, at the same time, serving a dual-purpose of creating mnemonic devices that will far outlive the written pages.

[Dan Hamman · Rating 5 out of 5]

History of the Christmas Holiday

Very interesting. Learn a number of things about Christmas celebrations down through history and in other countries. Good read for anyone interested in Christmas traditions.

[Pam C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, the author presents theology in understandable terms. Breaking down the birth of Jesus in light of current Christmas traditions and biblical history in a readable fashion. Throw in some humor and you have a well-written book about the greatest gift God has given mankind. Thought-provoking but not heady!

I received a free ebook to review.

[Marian Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bethlehem, the Year Jesus Was Born is a straight forward book that explains the birth of Jesus. There are many insights in this book and the author uses storytelling to supplement his explanations.

[Kent Dickerson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The point of Scott Douglas' book is the debunking of several parts of our Christmas lore and many places he succeeds. However, he sometimes replaces them with speculation of his own. Like many today, he makes a good deal of speculation on how troubled Mary's life must have been due to false accusations of being unfaithful. There is no sign of such in scripture. Matthew clearly teaches that Joseph obeyed the angel's instruction in his appearance and immediately takes Mary to be his wife. We are not told how Joseph knew she was pregnant before this visit. It could just be Mary simply shared her experience with him before she was showing and he doubted it. Something apparent to me from scripture — if Jesus is considered illegitimate by a good many people, why is there no mention of it by his enemies or his home synagogue when they turn against him?

Then there are some facts made clearer about the magi but with several, no sources are given. The Star is almost passed over, then once again we have more speculation. For a more plausible explanation, check out Rich Larson's documentary on the Star of Bethlehem.

Finally, there is a brief history of Santa, gift-giving, and most of our traditions that left me cold and wishing he could have at least told us a few stories of Christmas from his childhood for interest.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book. There were several times I raised an eyebrow at what I heard—meaning, I questioned the research he mentioned and/or his interpretation of it. His writing style is rather informal, which I found difficult to appreciate. This is a quote I was not happy to find in a Biblical subject book: “What we can know for sure is this: Herod was a crazy SOB—some say literally crazy.” page 103, Kindle version. I consider this remark inappropriate, even if it may be accurate.

There were a few points he made that I hadn’t thought of before, and it’s good to get a new perspective on this subject. While I wouldn’t say that this book is good enough to merit a second reading from me, I most likely will re-read it at some point so that I can do my own research. I often use books similar to this as a Bible study resource for a group I lead. I would not feel comfortable leading from this book until I had done that research. Fortunately, I acquired the Kindle version I can use for that.

[James Frederick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this as one of my Christmas reads for the year. For me, it was only okay. Parts that were intended to be humorous or "cutesy" just fell flat for me. LARGE parts of this were complete speculation.

This would be good for people who are very new to the Bible narratives regarding Jesus' birth. It might also be interesting for people who are really well acquainted with the narratives. But the latter group may be frustrated by the lack of depth in the discussion.

What I wish he had done a MUCH better job of doing is discussing the fact that the two gospel narratives that we have are VERY different and discuss why and what we do with that. What he says is, "They are different because they were intended for different audiences." That may be true. But what does that mean for us? What do we do with the inconsistencies?

This is a good basic discussion of the overall topic. The appendixes were very interesting and I think that they might have been the best part of the book.

[Sherri Geisler Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always pick up a book like this with a little trepidation. When it comes to anything bordering religion there are so many different beliefs you just never know what you are going to find. I actually felt like the pretty much any one should be able to be comfortable with this. The author explains in pretty simplified terms the importance of certain aspects of the Nativity story as described in the Bible. Maybe brings a few things that tend to be skimmed over into more focus and talks about the deeper meaning behind some things. I just really enjoyed reading it and am planning to recommend it to a lot of my family and friends. I would say if you are not a Christian and have want to learn more of the Christmas story this would still be a good book for you to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gregory Eakins · Rating 1 out of 5]

In Bethlehem, the Year Jesus Was Born, Douglas attempts to clarify and tell the "real" story of Christmas. He addresses a few of the myths around some Biblical stories, but really fails to introduce anything interesting.

The vast majority of Douglas's discussion starts with Bible quotes, and is quickly obscured by the typical thick religious garble that you get from books of this sort. He leans heavily on meritless speculation such as, "Joseph married Mary when she was 12, but they probably didn't get it on right away!" Many parts had me scratching my head.

This book provides no worthwhile or enlightening information and instead muddles the subject with unnecessary nonsense and speculation.

[Kari Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth a Read

I do not agree with some of the assumptions made by Douglas. Particularly the assumption that the wise men were gentiles. Considering that most of the tribes of Israel were already scattered at the time of Jesus birth, it is very possible that the wise men were watching for the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. Disagreement aside, I do appreciate his conclusion that the real gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ. How we celebrate that remembrance is secondary to always remembering and celebrating the gift of Our Redeemer. This book will make you evaluate why and how you celebrate Christmas. It is worth a read.

[*Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio downloaded through Chirp
Narrated by Gary Whitaker (excellent) - 2 hrs. 35 minutes listening time

Interesting, humorous at times, very relatable. A bible scholar who blends faith, science, and historical facts in order to delve into our commonly-held beliefs surrounding the nativity story and how those beliefs hold up under scrutiny.

Also included is more information about Advent, the reasons we give gifts, and even the traditional historical origins of Santa. All things Christmas. A great read.

[Gwendolyn Plano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book takes the reader on a journey through scripture. It examines the historical possibilities surrounding Jesus’s birth, given what is written and what is not written in the Gospels. Ultimately, it brings the reader back to the core message of Jesus being Gift. I enjoyed the book very much and would have liked it even more with a bit more depth. That said, Douglas raises important questions to consider.

[Hyacinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I was like what am I reading? Then I began to read with an open mind. We must study to show ourselves approved. We have just taken some things regarding the birth of Christ because it's been passed down from generation to generation. Some things brought out made me say, wow. Some stuff had no spiritual backing whatsoever, and here we are. I'll read this a few more times to get the fullness.

[Don Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

This book was not what I expected. I was thinking it was more about whay life wss like at the time of Jesus birth. While there is some of that it is an enjoyable read that talks about the traditional nativity and how we have interpreted it and how we might need to rethink that version.

[Dorothy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bethlehem, The Year Christ Was Born is an inspirational book backed by Scripture and historical references that brought me back to the time of Jesus’ birth and the meaning behind it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rubin Carpenter · Rating 1 out of 5]

This audio book was just not my cup of tea
Although I certainly applaud the author's approach to simplify complex theological themes of the nativity and it's meaning to humanity
I couldn't agree with most of the conclusions that were made
A disappointing read

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scripture-laden, except when Douglas merrily goes off-script. Enjoyable!
A high 3-stars
My Full Review →

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very thought-provoking and interesting read for Advent. It separated the reality from the legend, and made me see the Birth of Jesus in a way much different from the way you usually hear the story. This was one of the better Advent readings I did this year.

[Rick Farlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book as it’s very timely and thought provoking for the season.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok but nothing outstanding. Some interesting thoughts.

[teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valuable reading

Easy to read and follow. Give a the reader honest statements to consider and ponder. A great way to dig a little deeper in your Bible and your faith.

[Tim Deaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't quite what I expected, because I only saw the first six words of the title before I started reading it - and thus expected more of a history-oriented book. But it was an interesting and readable book, and well worth the time.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bethlehem, the Year Jesus Was Born discusses the birth of Jesus and how our traditions of Christmas came to be. i found this to be an easy to read and easy to understand book. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I will be looking for other books by this author.