Heretical Christmas Carols

Posted Thursday, December 13, 2007 by Charlie Trimm
Categories: Theology

Soapbox alert! One of my personal problems is with Christmas carols that end up being heretical. I still sing them, but I mutter to myself. I suppose we can say that they are just poetry and so have poetic license, but this seems to be stretching it. Here are two examples.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

"Veiled in the flesh the Godhead see"

The problem with this is simply that Jesus was not "God in a bod" or "God in a spacesuit". Jesus was not simply veiled in flesh, he was human. This is the view of docetism (denying the human side of Jesus) or Apollonarius (denying a human mind to Jesus), both views which were condemned in the early church. I understand what Wesley was trying to say here, and I don't think he was heretical. But I do think it is poor theological imagery.

Silent Night

Why was it silent? Did Jesus not cry when he was born? Was he not human? Because he was God did that mean he didn't do the things that humans do?

OK getting off my soapbox.

Follow-up Posts
Orthodox Christmas Carols

Thursday, December 13, 2007 4:06 PM

Mark Adams wrote: Heretical might be too strong a term Hmmmm. What drives me crazy about Christmas carols (apart from my pastor occassionally singing them in the summer!) are the words no one knows. Few of us use "hark." But, that said, using the word heretical might be pushing the criticism too far.

Friday, December 14, 2007 6:49 AM

Charlie wrote: I agree with your complaint about words that are not in use any more, although I do like singing Christmas carols year-round! I suppose heretical might be a little extreme, but during the time of the Christological controversies in the first few centuries of the church, I do think that these might have gotten someone the boot from the church. Things were a little touchy then about these issues, and the same is not true today. Maybe I'll get on another soapbox and complain about the people who pray to the Father and then thank him for dying on the cross. While routine today in evaneglical churches, this would have certainly gotten someone kicked out during that time period. But I don't think I'll bring up that soapbox. Oh, wait, I did just bring it up. Oh well.

Friday, December 14, 2007 9:44 AM

Brian wrote: Oh come all ye faithful

There are many targets in this topic, Charlie.

Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
Oh come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him, born the king of angels,

The king of angels?

I suppose this might work in terms of Jesus being the king of all creation, but he was born the king of Israel.