Title: Joy to the World: Christmas Carols made new for the 21st century
Author: Diarmuid O’Murchu
Genre: Religion (Christianity)/Spirituality.
Book Blurb:
In this thoughtful work, Diarmuid O'Murchu, priest and international workshop leader, offers a fresh interpretation of beloved Christmas carols. While the melodies we know and love stay true, the lyrics are reimagined in language that resonates across cultures and beliefs, bringing new depth and insight to this cherished season. This book invites readers of all backgrounds—whether religious or secular—to explore a richer meaning in these timeless songs.
Excerpt:
Wherever we are at Christmas time, we can hear the carols resounding: it is the most wonderful time of the year. Although of religious significance for Christians only, people all over the world enter the spirit of joviality. Families gather from diverse places, gifts are exchanged, while food and drink are consumed amid an air of celebration.
Among Christians, one detects a nostalgic sense of a much-loved devotion that has lost much of its fervour in our time. It might be the only day of the year in which some Christians go to Church, yet it feels important to fulfil that much of a religious duty. And alongside the tinsel, the Christmas tree, and the often elaborate range of decorations, the Christmas crib still retains a prominent place.
Many claim that Christmas is now so commercialised that it has lost virtually all religious meaning. One wonders if Christmas is a religious feast that has given pride of place to extensive shopping and retail therapy, or an occasion with a subverted sublimity waiting to be rediscovered. I opt for the latter.
According to traditional belief, Christmas marks the divine prerogative whereby God sent his beloved son, Jesus, for the salvation of humankind. According to the doctrine of the Incarnation (coming in the flesh) the divine Son of God takes on human flesh and becomes one of us. Allegedly, this never happened before and will never happen again. Jesus is purported to be the one and only Saviour for all humankind.
God’s coming in our flesh is described in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke as a miraculous event, a conception made possible by the special intervention of the Holy Spirit, bypassing normal human intercourse. The intention seems to be that the all holy, pure God can only enter our sin-infested world by a divinely instituted arrangement. God incarnates in and through human flesh, but only by a special arrangement in which the power of the divine clearly supersedes that of the human.
Over the centuries, millions have drawn comfort and consolation from this divine reassurance, while the Christian Church has often used the doctrine of the incarnation to assert its supremacy over all other beliefs, whether Christian or otherwise. While the feast of Christmas still continues to evoke devotion and hope for those who are impoverished or marginalized, theologically it raises a range of questions requiring a much more discerning response.
Archetypes and the human search for meaning
As I’ve stated previously, for many people, religious or not, Christian or otherwise, Christmas is marked by the singing of carols and the playing of carol music. The melodies carry a deep inexplicable resonance with an appeal far beyond the religious and Christian significance. People from all over the world can be heard humming or chanting the melodies, rehearsing them internally, with or without words. This deep resonance is what psychologists name as the archetypal. There is more to these memorable melodies than just religious hymns of the Christmas season.
Archetypes have been adopted by both anthropology and psychology, and more recently in cosmology-based studies, to name and explain those sublime energetic forces that transcend our rational and common-sense modes of understanding. Consequently, all human aspiration, desire, and action arise from the energetic creativity of archetypes. Moreover, all archetypal truth is spiritual in nature, often transcending the doctrines and structures of the formal religions and forever luring us into a deeper search for meaning. Jungian theorist James Hillman claims that archetypal psychology is theophonic, describing the inmost soul — not necessarily the deities of formal religions — that grounds everything in the realm of deep meaning. (More in Hillman 1975; 1983).
Archetypes invite us into a deeper way of seeing and understanding life. Religious people might describe it as a more contemplative way, long associated with a form of religious experience known as mysticism. Before pursuing such lofty spiritual heights, we can access the archetypal in a range of ordinary life experiences. I find it helpful to distinguish between instincts and archetypes. For instance we have heard stories of children in institutional settings (e.g., boarding schools) who eat far more food than they would consume at home; in other words food is being consumed as a psychological compensation for the lack of homely love and care. The hunger for food (instinct) is more to the fore because the sharing of food that creates love and intimacy (archetype) is lacking. The archetype serves deeper internal values.
Many people have the experience of desiring what others have and, as a result, often feel jealousy or even resentment. In psychological language, we project onto others some of our unmet needs. The felt emotions of jealousy or resentment denote the instinct. The needs that are not being met belong to the realm of the archetype. To identify such needs and seek their fulfilment is not selfishness, but an important task of growing more fully into our deeper human selves.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Our Website (best for UK only) https://sleepylionpublishing.com/product/joy-to-the-world-christmas-carols-made-new-for-the-21st-century/
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/joy-to-the-world-diarmuid-omurchu/1146561139?ean=9781917563017
Blackwells (UK) https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Joy-to-the-World-by-OMurchu-Diarmuid/9781917563017
For Australia Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/joy-to-the-world-diarmuid-o-murchu/book/9781917563017.html
Thriftbooks https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/joy-to-the-world-christmas-carols-made-new-for-the-21st-century/54175021/
Why is your featured book perfect to get readers in the holiday mood?
Joy to the World is perfect for getting readers in the holiday mood because it beautifully combines the familiarity of beloved Christmas carols with a fresh, inclusive perspective. While the timeless melodies evoke the nostalgic warmth of the season, the reimagined lyrics invite readers to reflect on the deeper themes of connection, hope, and renewal—values at the heart of the holiday spirit. It’s a book that speaks to everyone, whether they celebrate for religious, spiritual, or cultural reasons, making it an inspiring and meaningful addition to the festive season.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Open internationally.
Runs December 1 – 31, 2024
Drawing will be held on January 2, 2025.
Author Biography:
Diarmuid O’Murchu is a priest and social psychologist, whose working life has been devoted to Adult Faith Development across much of the English-speaking world. His best known books include Quantum Theology (2004), Adult Faith (2010), In the Beginning was the Spirit (2012), When the Disciple Comes of Age (2017); Doing Theology in an Evolutionary Way (2020), Ecological Spirituality (2024). Now as a retired missionary, he lives in Dublin, Ireland.
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