402. Christmas: Pagan or Christian?

France Dupont

France Dupont who writes uh she's written a brilliant book on everyday life in the roman republic daily life in ancient rome she she writes about the…

Ronald Hutton

Hutton then goes on to quote what this figure, this supposed fourth century Christian writer, the script to Cyrus wrote.

John North

the church was anxious to draw the attention of its members away from the old pagan feast days.

Episode summary

“The Church was anxious to draw the attention of its members away from the old pagan feast days, and the December date did this very well, for it coincided with the birthday of the invincible son of Mithraism…” Is Christmas as we know it merely an invention, created by plagiarising from rival cults, such as the worship of Mithra, the Iranian sun god, during the days of the Roman Empire? Is Christmas in fact based on a pagan festival, that Christians have made their own? Or has Christmas always been an authentically Christian celebration, born of its tradition and rituals? Join Tom and Dominic as they delve into the roots of Christmas, the importance of the Roman festival of Saturnalia, the cult of Sol Invictus, and much more. 📱Protect your tech valuables with our exclusive 20% off discount at http://uk.mous.co/RestHistory🎒 Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett

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France Dupont

The host mentions 'Daily Life in Ancient Rome' by France Dupont to explore the complexities of the Saturnalia festiva…

Ronald Hutton

The host references Ronald Hutton's book 'Stations of the Sun' to discuss the origins of Christmas and its connection…

John North

The host mentions 'Stonehenge, Neolithic Man and the Cosmos' to provide a scholarly perspective on the origins of the…

The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown

The host discusses the controversial claims made by Sir Lee Teabing in 'The Da Vinci Code' regarding the origins of C…

The Golden Bough

James Frazer

The host briefly mentions 'The Golden Bough' to illustrate a concept in religion. This book serves as a classic examp…

The Golden Symbol

The host mentions 'The Golden Symbol' to highlight the argument presented by Sir Lee Teabing regarding the origins of…

Letters of Pliny the Younger

The host briefly mentions Pliny the Younger's contrasting behavior during the festive Saturnalia. This highlights his…

The Poems of Catullus

The host briefly mentions Catullus as a significant love poet from the time of Julius Caesar. This reference highligh…

Catullus and love poetry(1)Christianity and paganism(1)Christmas and Christianity(1)Christmas and Sol Invictus(1)Mithras and Christmas(1)Pliny the Younger's character(1)Saturnalia celebrations(1)universal death resurrection ideas(1)

Book mentions8

Media mentions0

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What is 402. Christmas: Pagan or Christian? about?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for 402. Christmas: Pagan or Christian? on The Rest Is History.

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The conversation centers on Catullus and love poetry.
A second recurring theme is Christianity and paganism.
Referenced books include Daily Life in Ancient Rome by France Dupont and Stations of the Sun by Ronald Hutton.
The strongest audience signal points to Historians and enthusiasts of Roman culture and Historians and those interested in religious studies.

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Which books are mentioned in 402. Christmas: Pagan or Christian??

Daily Life in Ancient Rome by France Dupont, Stations of the Sun by Ronald Hutton, and Stonehenge, Neolithic Man and the Cosmos by John North are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Deep Dive(4)Passing Reference(3)Critical Analysis(1)

Audience signals

Historians and enthusiasts of Roman cultureHistorians and those interested in religious studiesIndividuals interested in religious history and ancient cultures.Individuals interested in religious studies and historical analysisIndividuals interested in religious studiesIndividuals interested in religious studies and historical critiques of Christianity.

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

France Dupont

Best for Historians and enthusiasts of Roman cultureOften cited around Saturnalia celebrations

“France Dupont writes about the Saturnalia for one day nothing was as it seemed neither the relationships between people nor the presence that changed hands.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Saturnalia celebrations

For: Historians and enthusiasts of Roman culture

Key quote: “France Dupont who writes uh she's written a brilliant book on everyday life in the roman republic daily life in ancient rome she she writes about the saturnalia for one day nothing was as it seemed neither the relationships between people nor the presence that changed hands.”

The host mentions 'Daily Life in Ancient Rome' by France Dupont to explore the complexities of the Saturnalia festival and its impact on social dynamics in ancient Rome. Dupont's insights highlight how this festival allowed for a temporary reversal of social roles, providing a unique perspective on the lives of Roman citizens and slaves during this time.

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Ronald Hutton

Best for Historians and those interested in religious studiesOften cited around Christmas and Sol Invictus

“Ronald Hutton discusses Christmas in his great book, Stations of the Sun, which is a kind of history of the ritual year in Britain.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Christmas and Sol Invictus

For: Historians and those interested in religious studies

Key quote: “Hutton then goes on to quote what this figure, this supposed fourth century Christian writer, the script to Cyrus wrote.”

The host references Ronald Hutton's book 'Stations of the Sun' to discuss the origins of Christmas and its connection to the pagan festival of Sol Invictus. Hutton's analysis challenges common misconceptions about the historical relationship between these celebrations.

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John North

Best for Individuals interested in religious history and ancient cultures.Often cited around Mithras and Christmas

“A quote from a book called Stonehenge, Neolithic Man and the Cosmos, which I was reading.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Mithras and Christmas

For: Individuals interested in religious history and ancient cultures.

Key quote: “the church was anxious to draw the attention of its members away from the old pagan feast days.”

The host mentions 'Stonehenge, Neolithic Man and the Cosmos' to provide a scholarly perspective on the origins of the December 25th date associated with Mithras. This reference serves to illustrate the complexities surrounding ancient religious practices and their intersections with early Christianity.

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The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown

Best for Individuals interested in religious studies and historical analysisOften cited around Christianity and paganism

“It's the Da Vinci Code by the renowned author, Dan Brown.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Christianity and paganism

For: Individuals interested in religious studies and historical analysis

Key quote: “Sir Lee Teabing in this book basically says everything in Christmas, in Christianity is invented.”

The host discusses the controversial claims made by Sir Lee Teabing in 'The Da Vinci Code' regarding the origins of Christmas and its connections to pagan traditions. This mention serves to highlight the ongoing debate about the historical accuracy of Christian narratives and their influences from earlier religions.

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The Golden Bough

James Frazer

Best for Individuals interested in religious studiesOften cited around universal death resurrection ideas

“James Frazer in the golden bow, classic example, that all religions are expressive of certain kind of universal death resurrection kind of ideas.”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: universal death resurrection ideas

For: Individuals interested in religious studies

Key quote: “James Frazer in the golden bow, classic example, that all religions are expressive of certain kind of universal death resurrection kind of ideas.”

The host briefly mentions 'The Golden Bough' to illustrate a concept in religion. This book serves as a classic example of how various religions express universal themes of death and resurrection.

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The Golden Symbol

Best for Individuals interested in religious studies and historical critiques of Christianity.Often cited around Christmas and Christianity

“Sir Lee Teabing is quoted in a great book of Christmas themed scholarship called The Golden Symbol.”

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Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: Christmas and Christianity

For: Individuals interested in religious studies and historical critiques of Christianity.

Key quote: “Sir Lee Teabing in this book basically says everything in Christmas, in Christianity is invented.”

The host mentions 'The Golden Symbol' to highlight the argument presented by Sir Lee Teabing regarding the origins of Christmas and its connections to earlier pagan traditions. This book serves as a scholarly reference that critiques the originality of Christian symbols and narratives.

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Letters of Pliny the Younger

Best for Readers interested in historical figures and their personal habitsOften cited around Pliny the Younger's character

“Pliny the Younger, who's absolute funster when everybody is having fun celebrating Saturnalia, retreats to his study and reads.”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Pliny the Younger's character

For: Readers interested in historical figures and their personal habits

Key quote: “Pliny the Younger, who's absolute funster when everybody is having fun celebrating Saturnalia, retreats to his study and reads.”

The host briefly mentions Pliny the Younger's contrasting behavior during the festive Saturnalia. This highlights his preference for solitude and intellectual pursuits over social celebrations.

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The Poems of Catullus

Best for Readers interested in classical poetryOften cited around Catullus and love poetry

“Catullus, great love poet, contemporary of Julius Caesar, called it the best of days.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Catullus and love poetry

For: Readers interested in classical poetry

Key quote: “Catullus, great love poet, contemporary of Julius Caesar, called it the best of days.”

The host briefly mentions Catullus as a significant love poet from the time of Julius Caesar. This reference highlights the importance of his work in the context of love poetry.

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Daily Life in Ancient Rome

The Rest Is History · 42:50

France Dupont who writes uh she's written a brilliant book on everyday life in the roman republic daily life in ancient rome she she writes about the…

Stations of the Sun

The Rest Is History · 15:34

Hutton then goes on to quote what this figure, this supposed fourth century Christian writer, the script to Cyrus wrote.

Stonehenge, Neolithic Man and the Cosmos

The Rest Is History · 11:24

the church was anxious to draw the attention of its members away from the old pagan feast days.

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Mentioned at 42:50

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France Dupont

The host mentions 'Daily Life in Ancient Rome' by France Dupont to explore the complexities of the Saturnalia festival and its impact on social dyn…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 15:34

Check price Jump to mention

Ronald Hutton

The host references Ronald Hutton's book 'Stations of the Sun' to discuss the origins of Christmas and its connection to the pagan festival of Sol…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 11:24