Dr. Ken Calvert

Well, I think that to a certain extent, they're right about the word Easter because that is only used in the English speaking world. And in the English speaking world, it came into use probably sometime in the Middle Ages. Nobody's quite sure.

Well, I think that to a certain extent, they're right about the word Easter because that is only used in the English speaking world. And in the English speaking world, it came into use probably sometime in the Middle Ages. Nobody's quite sure.

There was an ancient Christian historian, the Venerable Bede out of Northern England, who talked about this goddess Easter that some people worshipped, but had no connection with Christian Passover, Christian celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. And really, it shows up first in print in, of all places, William Tyndale's Bible when he's talking about this celebration.

There was an ancient Christian historian, the Venerable Bede out of Northern England, who talked about this goddess Easter that some people worshipped, but had no connection with Christian Passover, Christian celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. And really, it shows up first in print in, of all places, William Tyndale's Bible when he's talking about this celebration.

And from then on, it's connected to the celebration, but in the rest of the world. The the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus is referred to in its original Greek and Hebrew, the Pascha, which is related to the Passover and to this this idea of sacrificing Christ. a lamb and the blood of the lamb at Egypt with the passing over of the Hebrews into freedom from slavery in Egypt.

And from then on, it's connected to the celebration, but in the rest of the world. The the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus is referred to in its original Greek and Hebrew, the Pascha, which is related to the Passover and to this this idea of sacrificing Christ. a lamb and the blood of the lamb at Egypt with the passing over of the Hebrews into freedom from slavery in Egypt.

And the last of the great plagues of the 10 plagues of the firstborn, the use of the blood of the lamb and the establishment by God of the Passover feast, which was celebrated by the Hebrews, never a pagan feast, never a pagan activity. up until the present day.

And the last of the great plagues of the 10 plagues of the firstborn, the use of the blood of the lamb and the establishment by God of the Passover feast, which was celebrated by the Hebrews, never a pagan feast, never a pagan activity. up until the present day.

And the Christians, of course, celebrate Passover in a similar way as an extension of our Jewish roots because, of course, Jesus was Jewish and the New Testament is the fulfillment of all of the prophecies, all of the looking ahead by the Jews, by the Hebrews, the coming of the Messiah, the fulfillment of the covenants

And the Christians, of course, celebrate Passover in a similar way as an extension of our Jewish roots because, of course, Jesus was Jewish and the New Testament is the fulfillment of all of the prophecies, all of the looking ahead by the Jews, by the Hebrews, the coming of the Messiah, the fulfillment of the covenants

And what you have here in Passover and in what Christians do every Easter, and unfortunately we still use that word, is celebrate that feast, the Passover feast, as it's fulfilled in Jesus Christ. So this is not a pagan activity at all.

And what you have here in Passover and in what Christians do every Easter, and unfortunately we still use that word, is celebrate that feast, the Passover feast, as it's fulfilled in Jesus Christ. So this is not a pagan activity at all.

One of the misconceptions actually that comes out of this is the Council of Nicaea in 325, where people claim that Constantine took a pagan feast and made it Christian. They also claim this about Christmas. And what's really befuddling as a historian, Charlie, is that this never happened. It never happened. It's attributed to Constantine. and the Council of Nicaea.

One of the misconceptions actually that comes out of this is the Council of Nicaea in 325, where people claim that Constantine took a pagan feast and made it Christian. They also claim this about Christmas. And what's really befuddling as a historian, Charlie, is that this never happened. It never happened. It's attributed to Constantine. and the Council of Nicaea.

Now, the Council of Nicaea did discuss the proper date for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but it had nothing to do with paganism. And so, as you often point out, actually, in your debates with students on university campuses, There are very shallow levels of understanding of history and of ideas that really do not come out of any profound understanding of the actual facts.

Now, the Council of Nicaea did discuss the proper date for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but it had nothing to do with paganism. And so, as you often point out, actually, in your debates with students on university campuses, There are very shallow levels of understanding of history and of ideas that really do not come out of any profound understanding of the actual facts.

Yeah, I think it's very complicated, because remember that the Christians and the Jews... were not part of the pagan world. And so there was a definite desire to stay separate from paganism. And so when we look at the celebration of Christmas, for instance, and the celebration on the 25th of December, that was done 200 years really before Constantine.

Yeah, I think it's very complicated, because remember that the Christians and the Jews... were not part of the pagan world. And so there was a definite desire to stay separate from paganism. And so when we look at the celebration of Christmas, for instance, and the celebration on the 25th of December, that was done 200 years really before Constantine.

And the idea that somehow this was taking over the celebration of Sol Invictus, a pagan divinity, that's just not true. That's not what the Christians were doing. And so there's a lot of misunderstanding. And much of that came actually out of the 1700s and 1800s AD, scholars trying to connect Christianity back to ancient paganism.

And the idea that somehow this was taking over the celebration of Sol Invictus, a pagan divinity, that's just not true. That's not what the Christians were doing. And so there's a lot of misunderstanding. And much of that came actually out of the 1700s and 1800s AD, scholars trying to connect Christianity back to ancient paganism.