CLOSED Christmas in Literature, Film, and Music

Middle School Level | This course is completed

Middle School Level

Wednesday, October 12, 2016-Wednesday, December 7, 2016

10:30 AM-11:30 AM EDT on Wed

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$145.00

CLOSED
Total classes: 8
Class dates: Wednesdays, October 12 to December 7, 2016
Starting time: 10:30 AM Eastern (9:30 Central; 8:30 Mountain; 7:30 Pacific)
Duration: 45 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 6th to 8th grade
Suggested credit: 2/3 semester of Literature or English. Add another literature or a writing course for a full credit.
Instructor: Kevin O’Brien
Course description: What is the “magic of Christmas” and why has it captivated even the secular world for so many centuries? We’ll explore the history of the celebration of Christmas, from St. Francis and the first Manger Scene in the 13th century to the banning of Christmas by the Puritans in Colonial America, to the commercialization and secularization of Christmas in modern times. Through it all, we’ll look at the depiction of the Nativity in Literature, Film and Music. We’ll read A Christmas Carol, we’ll watch scenes from Christmas movies, we’ll read essays and poems on Christmas by G. K. Chesterton, we’ll examine the theology and wonder behind classic and modern Christmas Carols - and we’ll even explore the strange transformation of St. Nicholas into Santa Claus! But our goal through it all will be to have a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Incarnation. Note that each student will work on a Final Project that will be a story, poem or other creative work that he or she will present to his or her family during the Christmas season!

  • Homework: Quizzes and Reflection Papers. Homework should average about two hours per week.
  • Course materials: Provided as PDFs by the Instructor
O'Brien, Kevin

Although an atheist at an early age, Kevin’s experiences with the dramatic arts began a conversion process, that, with the help of the writings of G. K. Chesterton, eventually brought him into the Catholic Church. Kevin hosts the television series The Theater of the Word on EWTN and can also be seen on episodes of EWTN’s The Apostle of Common Sense, The Quest for Shakespeare, and The Journey Home. He also portrays J. R. R. Tolkien on several Tolkien specials hosted by Joseph Pearce. Most recently Kevin has appeared in two movies, Manalive, based on the novel by G. K. Chesterton, and To Follow the Light: the Conversion of John Henry Newman. In addition, Kevin has performed and produced 35 audio books, and is the only person in history to play every part in a Shakespeare play (twice!), which he did for his audio readings of The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth for Ignatius Press. Also, Kevin and author Joseph Pearce are the co-founders of the website The Christian Shakespeare, which publishes essays demonstrating the Catholic worldview of the world's greatest dramatist ( www.christianshakespeare.com). Kevin is also a writer and regular contributor to The St. Austin Review and Gilbert Magazine. ACS Press will be publishing his autobiography in 2016. For more information, visit www.thewordinc.org