Today’s Briefing

In the words of Mariah Carey, “It’s time!” Here’s CT’s annual roundup of the best new Christmas music, spanning from the Celtic tunes of We Are Messengers to Tedashii’s mellow holiday covers.

Wicked reminds us of our own hypocrisy.

Advent provides a way through a season of overwhelming troubles.

A village girl grew to be a powerful leader of Bangladesh’s evangelical minority.

Subscribe to CT now for 50 percent off!

Behind the Story

From news editor Daniel Silliman: Popular Christmas music is not very Jesus-y. And in the US and Europe, it’s getting even less religious than it was a few years ago.

I dug into Spotify stats back in 2021, looking at the most popular Christmas songs around the world and whether they mentioned Jesus, Mary, shepherds, angels, or anything else from the Nativity story. In the US and the UK, the top nine songs had nothing. In Greenland, the 18th most popular song mentioned Bethlehem. In France, song No. 28 was “O Holy Night.”

Out of curiosity I checked the most recent Spotify stats this year and found religious imagery is even scarcer than it was in 2021. In the US, the most popular Christmas song with Christian references is No. 40 on the list: “Mary, Did You Know?” covered by Pentatonix. In France, the first religious reference is in song No. 63. In Greece, there are three songs about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that are more popular than any holiday song mentioning Jesus.

I suppose this is just another case of secularization. I’m surprised that with all the nostalgia in Christmas, though, that we don’t get some religion just for old times’ sake. Oh well, time to find some albums of Christmas music. Thankfully, Kelsey Kramer McGinnis has us covered.

PAID CONTENT

The headlines may seem overwhelming, but all hope isn’t lost.

The Pour Over offers a distinctive approach to news coverage: politically neutral reporting paired with biblical wisdom. Their free newsletter helps Christians stay well-informed about current events while maintaining focus on eternal truths.

Receive concise, balanced coverage of the stories shaping our world, delivered with clarity and spiritual perspective. Join their growing community of informed believers.

In Other News

Dallas pastor T. D. Jakes is recovering after experiencing a “health incident” while preaching on Sunday.
A Pentecostal pastor has been arrested in Russia and charged with threatening national security in a sermon critiquing the war in Ukraine.
Kenya’s evangelical president is no longer popular with churches.
The British postal service is going churchy with this year’s holiday season stamps.

Today in Christian History

November 27, 1095: After nine days of sessions among clerics, Pope Urban II addresses the public to proclaim the First Crusade. The goals were to defend Eastern Christians from Muslim aggression, make pilgrimages to Jerusalem safer, and recapture the Holy Sepulcher. “God wills it! God wills it!” the crowd shouted in response (see issue 40: The Crusades).

I Give Thanks in the Bright Darkness

In the months after my miscarriage, I thought often of a quote from C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia: “The sun is darkened in my eyes.” I had never experienced…

Happy Thankless Thanksgiving

“Give thanks in all circumstances,” Paul says (1 Thess. 5:18). Usually, our difficulty with this instruction is the words all circumstances. Most of us, after all, are not thankful in…

Soccer Fans Warned about Losing Souls

Soccer fans who watched Spain celebrate its dramatic 2–1 victory over England in the European Football Championship also got an unexpected Bible message. The camera showed the trophy being engraved…

Food Banks Thank God for Bacon, Buying in Bulk, and Local Support

One woman at a Southern California food bank found herself overwhelmed by bacon. “She started crying,” said pastor Charles Campbell, who directs The Joseph Project Citywide Food Bank in Moreno…

in the magazine

As this issue hits your mailboxes after the US election and as you prepare for the holidays, it can be easy to feel lost in darkness. In this issue, you’ll read of the piercing light of Christ that illuminates the darkness of drug addiction at home and abroad, as Angela Fulton in Vietnam and Maria Baer in Portland report about Christian rehab centers. Also, Carrie McKean explores the complicated path of estrangement and Brad East explains the doctrine of providence. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt shows us how art surprises, delights, and retools our imagination for the Incarnation, while Jeremy Treat reminds us of an ancient African bishop’s teachings about Immanuel. Finally, may you be surprised by the nearness of the “Winter Child,” whom poet Malcolm Guite guides us enticingly toward. Happy Advent and Merry Christmas.

VIEW FULL ISSUE

SUBSCRIBE NOW

CT Daily Briefing

Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily.

Delivered free via email to subscribers weekly. Sign up for this newsletter.

You are currently subscribed as no email found. Sign up to more newsletters like this. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe.

Christianity Today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
“Christianity Today” and “CT” are the registered trademarks of Christianity Today International.

Privacy & Cookies | Advertise with Us | Subscribe to CT | Donate

Share