Origins and Significance of Christian Feasts
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9781624280993
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Uncover the fascinating journey of how Christian festivals shaped our modern calendar and continue to influence society today. Origins and Significance of Christian Feasts bridges rigorous scholarship with accessible insight, revealing how early Christians transformed time itself—from Julius Caesar to Constantine, from ancient Roman practices to contemporary celebrations. This comprehensive study explores not just when and how Christian feasts emerged, but why they remain relevant in our increasingly secular world. Perfect for religious scholars, pastoral leaders, and anyone curious about the historical threads that weave through our shared calendar.
In my teaching of worship to future pastors, I make the case that the notion of a church year was something Christians inherited from Judaism, reinterpreted through the lenses of the crucified and Risen One. Berardino’s excellent volume brings together a superbly informed exposition of the origins of Christian festivals, their diversity from East to West, and their impact on the larger society and the world. His plenteous reconstruction finds the sweet spot between the overly-technical and undocumented superficiality. This is a welcomed volume to my work and study.
--Rev. Dr. Jon D. Vieker
Associate Professor, Dean of Chapel
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Professor Berardino is to be congratulated for a study which will surely become the standard work on the subject. It is an elegant and fascinating read throughout, for specialist and general reader alike. Beginning with a discussion on the philosophy and theology of time and seasons it goes on to consider the structure and details of all the great festival occasions of Early Christianity. Pascha and Pentecost are the core of everything, but the study has a constant refrain in noting how the mystical joy of the “Eighth Day”, of the New Creation in Christ, lies at the heart of all that motivates the Church whenever it assembles. This is the work of a most learned theologian at the height of his powers.
--Archpriest John A. McGuckin
University of Oxford Faculty of Theology