#135 Christmas Isn't What You Think - John Nelson

John Nelson earned a PhD in New Testament and Christian Origins from the University of Edinburgh in 2023. He writes for the Substack Behind the Gospels . His thesis is the first book-length study of Jesus' physical appearance in the Gospels. He runs a weekly Substack called "Behind the Gospels" which aims to make Biblical studies accessible to all. Timestamps: 0:00 - Was Jesus Really Born on Christmas Day? 2:51 - Are the Birth Narratives Attempts at History? 6:34 - Where Was Jesus Actually Born? 16:19 - Were the Birth Narratives Added Later? 20:53 - Was Mary Really a Virgin? 32:57 - Why Does Nobody Else Mention the Virgin Birth? 37:39 - Was Jesus a Product of Adultery? 42:22 - Was Jesus Born in a Manger? 48:07 - Who Are the Magi? 54:04 - Was the Star Really a Star? 01:00:03 - Did Herod Really Order a Slaughter of Infants? 01:05:09 - Is the Christmas Story Anti-Imperial? 01:09:04 - How Would Jewish Readers Interpret the Christmas Narratives? 01:13:13 - Are Christmas Trees a Pagan Idol? 01:16:12 - John’s Book and the Upcoming Tour

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#135 Christmas Isn't What You Think - John Nelson is an episode from The Cosmic Skeptic Podcast by Alex J O'Connor.

This episode is 01:19:03 long.

This episode was published on Dec 20, 2025.

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