As someone who specializes in Anglo-Saxon literature, each year during the season of Advent, I'm reminded of a poem in the Old English Exeter Book titled Christ I. This poem, written in vernacular English (probably in the ninth century), is a series of reflections known as the Advent Lyrics, based on a Latin liturgical cycle sung … Continue reading Advent Reflections through Apocryphal Dialogue
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend the York Christian Apocrypha Symposium in Toronto, Canada, organized by Tony Burke in consultation with Brent Landau. You can learn more about the conference, presenters, and papers delivered here. I was a medievalist in a sea of experts on early Christianity--a field to which I often look in my own research and … Continue reading Attending the York Christian Apocrypha Symposium
Something wonderful is happening on Twitter. Of course, that could be said of various trends on that social media outlet, but one that's striking early academics right now is the #RhymeYourPhD trend. Liesbeth Corens brought the idea to life over the weekend: Now I want 'Rhyme your PhD' like 'dance your PhD'. Could be part of our 'creative … Continue reading #RhymeYourPhD
This time of year, holiday symbols surround us on all sides. Some of these are fairly recent phenomena, like Santa Claus (a twentieth-century creation in his popular culture incarnation), electric lights, and decorated fir trees in many homes; some are much older, like Hanukkah menorahs and Nativity scenes. Among those associated with Christmas are a few that particularly … Continue reading An Ox, an Ass, and Three Kings: A History of Apocryphal Christmas Traditions
Brandon W. Hawk 