The Nativity with the Evangelists and Beyond

Room DW004 @ 7.00pm

3rd December – Matthew’s account of the Nativity (a new king is born)

10th December – Luke’s account of the Nativity (a new kingdom is come)

17th December – The Nativity after the New Testament

The nativity is one of the best loved stories in the Bible. For many, Christian and non-Christian, it is foundational to their understanding of the person of Jesus. Its popularity as a school play makes it one of the few biblical stories that can join different cultural and faith groups together in an inclusive and non-threatening way.

We will be asking whether it matters if the nativity scenes that we recognise on Christmas cards and in school nativity plays markedly differ from those we read about in the New Testament. We will be looking at the authority of not just the written text, but also of the narrative or story itself. Why does it still maintain such a powerful hold in our imaginations? Are changes necessarily bad? The three sessions will explore what might happen when we reintroduce some of the elements of the ‘original’ narratives back into our modern day version of the birth of Jesus.

The seminar will be hosted by Dr Richard Goode (Visiting Research Fellow in Biblical Studies, Newman University), Rev Stephen Winter (Community Theologian & formally Assistant Director of Development, the Diocese of Worcester) and Andrew Summers (Theology student and church leader)

These seminars are open to all.

Contributions: £4 (refreshments included) free to students and staff

There is plenty of free on-site parking.

For map please click here

For more details please contact Emma Board:

email: boar200@staff.newman.ac.uk

telephone: 0121 476 1181 ext. 2395