The book thoroughly investigates the origins of Nativity and Epiphany, delving into various hypotheses due to the scarcity of sources. It explores, examines, and scrutinizes historical contexts, aiming to offer fresh interpretations and inspire further research on these intriguing subjects.

lgrsnf/The Origin of the Feast of the Nativity in the Patristic Perspective (European Studies in Theology, Philosophy and History of Religions) [3874211].pdf

Jzef Naumowicz; Mikoaj Golubiewski; Bartosz Adamczewski

Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, Peter

Peter Lang Group, Frankfurt a.M., 2024

Germany, Germany

1, PT, 2024

Cover
HalfTitle
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Abbreviations
Introduction
The State of Research: Existing Hypotheses and Theories
When and Where Do Nativity and Epiphany Originate?
Why Did There Appear New Holidays?
Work’s Structure
Part I: “Preparation” for Two New Feasts (Up to A.D. 325): Interpretations of the Earliest Patristic Testimonies
The First Dating of Jesus’s Birth and Methods of Determining It
The Spring Dates in Clement of Alexandria
The Dating of Birth as Part of the Paschal Calculatio: Hippolytus and the Computist of A.D. 243
The Main Earliest Keys to Calculate the Date of Jesus’s Birth
Birth at the Time of Passover
Birth on the Day of the Sun’s Creation
Jesus’s Nativity on the Sixth Day
The December 25 Dating Unknown Until A.D. 325
The First Dating of Jesus’s Baptism and the Epiphany
Basilidian and “the Other” Date: January 10 and January 6
January 10 in the Gnostic Tradition
January 6 in the Ecclesiastical Sources
Background of the Epiphany Day of January 6
The Year 325: Borderline Date for Setting the Nativity and Baptism Feasts
The First Council of Nicaea and the Issue of Epiphany Beginnings
Did Constantine the Great Introduce the New Feasts?
Did the Old Nativity in Bethlehem Exist?
Part II: The Origins of the Bethlehem Epiphaneia and Roman Natale
The Bethlehem Epiphany on January 6
Basilica above the Nativity Grotto and Foundation of the Feast
The Epiphany as the Celebration of Jesus’s Birth
Three Other Forms of the Epiphany in the East
Roman Feast of the Nativity on December 25
Oldest Testimonies from Rome
First Nativity or Epiphany in the West: Debatable Issues
Part III: The Patristic Explanations of the Origins of the Nativity and Epiphany
Explanations Based on the Biblical and Liturgical Background
The Date of John the Baptist’s Conception
The Biblical Symbolism of Light and Sun
General Conclusions
The Cut-off Date: 325
The Period of Preparation for New Holidays
When and Where Were Christmas and the Epiphany Established?
The Development of Both Holidays
The Beginnings of Christmas in the Eyes of the First Generation of Witnesses
Bibliography

The book investigates the origins of Nativity and Epiphany, exploring when, where, and why these feasts were introduced in the Church. Given the scarcity of sources, the book explores various hypotheses to understand the origins of Nativity and Epiphany. Methodological questions are raised, exploring the influence of Constantinian Christianity versus the theology and culture of the primitive Church. The intertwined histories of Nativity and Epiphany are discussed, emphasizing the prevailing view that Epiphany appeared before Nativity. The study also delves into debates on where these holidays first appeared, with suggestions for North Africa and the East.
Erscheinungsdatum: 29.03.2024

2024-07-15