• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Randal Rauser

Home of progressively evangelical, generously orthodox, rigorously analytic, revolutionary Christian thinking (that's what I'm aiming for anyway)

  • About
  • Books
  • Articles
    • Articles (single)
    • Articles (in series)
  • Audio/Video
    • Audio Interviews, Lectures, and Debates
    • Video Interviews and Lectures
    • Powerpoint Slides
  • Blog
    • Current Posts
    • Blog Archives
  • Podcasts
    • The Tentative Apologist Podcast
    • Archived Podcasts
    • Reviews

Christmas

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

December 25, 2020 by Randal

Merry Christmas, everyone! Here is the introduction to the chapter on incarnation in my 2008 book Faith Lacking Understanding. The excerpt invites Christians to rediscover the magic and mystery of incarnation by way of a celebrated children’s story. In her delightful children’s classic The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Barbara Robinson tells the story of how the […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, Faith lacking understanding, incarnation

Atheism and Christmas: An interview with Rick Marazzani

November 15, 2018 by Randal

At the end of my book Is the Atheist My Neighbor? I offer Christians some practical tips for building bridges of hospitality with those from the atheist community. Among the suggestions, I propose a rather obvious one: get to know some atheists and take the time to learn their views. In the spirit of that […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: atheism, Christmas, interview, secularism

A Journey Through Christmas Posts Past

December 24, 2016 by Randal

It’s a crazy time of year, innit? Yesterday I foolishly ventured into Costco to do some last minute shopping. This was the lineup just to get to the lineups for the cash registers. Is it any surprise that many people think “relaxing Christmas holiday” is an oxymoron? In light of all the craziness, I say […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas

Sending Out Christmas Curses

December 15, 2016 by Randal

Tired of the same old Christmas cards? According to the satirical Babylon Bee “news” site, this family unwittingly stumbled upon a brilliant alternative: imprecatory psalm cards. (Thanks to Samuel Choy for forwarding the Babylon Bee article to me.) After some reflection I’ve decided that this is not such a bad idea. At least your greeting […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, curse, imprecatory psalms, satire

How young was the Virgin Mary … and was that too young?

December 24, 2015 by Randal

I’ve posted some more-or-less heart-warming Christmas greetings in years’ past. See 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011. This year I’m going to instead offer a brief word on the Virgin Mary. If not particularly heart-warming, hopefully it is at least thought-provoking. And if honest about the problems it raises, hopefully it is not impious for doing so. Let’s start […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, Mary, virgin birth, virgin conception

The real scandal over Starbucks cups

November 18, 2015 by Randal

These days I rarely go to Starbucks. But I can’t help commenting on the latest installment in the interminable and patently ridiculous “war on Christmas”. I speak, as you can probably guess, of the “controversy” that has arisen over Starbucks’ decision to serve its coffee in plain red cups this holiday season. Personally, I haven’t met […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, ethics, evangelicalism, garbage, Marketplace, recycling, Starbucks, War on Christmas

Sometimes it is okay just to say ‘Merry Christmas’

December 27, 2011 by Randal

The White House had a lovely Christmas card this year, though reliably contrarian Sarah Palin was deeply offended at the outrageous inclusion of the family dog: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/sarah_palin_white_house_christ.html. My Christmas well wish didn’t get quite as much press as that of the Obamas, but I guess I should have expected that. Perhaps next year I’ll include my Maltese […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, evangelism, fundamentalism

How do you schedule a convenient Christmas service?

December 25, 2011 by Randal

In a new poll 28 percent of Canadians said they would be attending church for Christmas. Ironically, 68 percent responded on the survey that they were Christian. (See ” Traditional holiday customs on the outs in Canada: study” available here: http://www.canada.com/life/holiday-guide-2011/Traditional+holiday+customs+outs+Canada+study/5905786/story.html) Wow, a little over one-third of Canadian “Christians” go to church at Christmas. If you’re not going to church at […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, church, consumerism

Why you shouldn’t sing “Silent Night” at city hall

December 8, 2011 by Randal

The other day my daughter reported to me on the drive to school that she and her class would be singing in city hall, possibly in front of the mayor. “Which songs?” I enquired. “Swingle Bells” she said. “It’s like, a swinging version of ‘Jingle Bells.’ Oh and also ‘Tue Tue.’ It is an African song […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, pluralism, secularism, secularization

Bad idea of the week: Michael Buble singing “Santa Baby”

December 5, 2011 by Randal

My wife is a big fan of Canadian wall-paper jazz/pop singer Michael Buble. Me? Not so much. (Not that I dislike the guy. It is just that I’d like him better if he included more guitar distortion and double bass.) Right now his album of holiday standards is number 1 in North America, having sold a staggering […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, Michael Buble, Santa Baby

Footer

Against Malaria Foundation

Against Malaria Foundation

Support Kiva

Support Kiva

Search this website

Archives



Copyright © 2023 • Randal Rauser • A Steady Site