THE DAY CHRIST WAS BORN

by Jim Bishop ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

A reverent and homely presentation of the story of the Nativity, which- this reader feels- will be acceptable chiefly to those of childlike mind and heart. For Jim Bishop has chosen to tell his story in terms of an unquestioning acceptance. He begins with Mary and Joseph heading towards Bethlehem and the census; he goes back to Nazareth and the scene of the Annunciation, of Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, of Joseph's vision of the angel and his humility in accepting his own role. The Nazareth setting is not strictly conforming to the actual facts the visitor today is given, but hews closely to the general semblance of living as it might have been in any remote Palestinian village. One gets a sense of the general background, the customs- social and religious and ritualistic- in very human terms. The visits of the shepherds, the wise men and the flight to Egypt are recounted in almost matter-of-fact fashion. And yet the whole is characterized by a devout acceptance of the miracle without any rationalization that can be accepted beyond the tenets of specific faiths.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1960

Categories: NONFICTION