Bonus Episode 19 - The Man That Invented Christmas (Christmas 2024)

This is a special Christmas bonus episode featuring Charles Dickens. Dickens is in many ways responsible for the modern celebration of Christmas - for good or ill. I hope you enjoy this look at this life.

Transcript

Welcome to this Christmas bonus episode of the Giants of the Faith podcast. I'm your host, Robert Daniels. In today's episode we're going to examine the life of Charles Dickens, the man who invented Christmas. Dickens was not a great theologian, scholar, preacher, missionary, or anything else that would typically land someone on this show. What he was was a great advocate for Christian charity, love, consideration, and more. His personal faith was private and might be, or certainly was at some points, of a dubious nature and that's why this is a bonus episode rather than a full fledged one. I hope you enjoy it.

Charles Dickens, born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England, is widely regarded as one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era. Known for his vivid characters, social critique, and storytelling, Dickens's work had a profound influence on the literary landscape. 

Dickens was the second of eight children, born to John and Elizabeth Dickens. His family experienced financial instability due to his father's poor money management, which resulted in John Dickens being imprisoned for debt in 1824. This period had a profound impact on Charles, who, at the age of 12, was forced to leave school and work at a blacking warehouse, where he endured harsh conditions. These experiences of poverty and hardship deeply influenced Dickens's worldview, fostering a lifelong empathy for the poor and marginalized.

Despite the adversities, Dickens's family eventually regained some stability, allowing him to return to school for a short period. He later found work as a clerk in a law office and, in time, began his career as a writer and journalist. His first published work, Sketches by Boz in 1836, gained popularity and led to the serialization of his first major novel, The Pickwick Papers.

Dickens was raised in the Church of England, and although his faith was often complex and private, it was an essential aspect of his life and writings. He was at the very least a cultural Christian with a deep sense of morality, emphasizing themes of compassion, charity, forgiveness, and justice in his novels. However, Dickens was skeptical of institutionalized religion and often criticized the hypocrisy he perceived within certain religious authorities in the Church of England and elsewhere.

His faith was personal and influenced by a strong belief in Christ's teachings, particularly the virtues of kindness and benevolence. He was critical of religious dogma and instead focused on the practical outworking of Christian principles in everyday life. This is evident in his novels, where the values of charity, redemption, and personal transformation play central roles.

Dickens did flirt with Unitarianism, which was popular with the elites of his day. Unitarianism allowed him to live without the dogma of historic Christianity, yet affirm the existence of God and the humanity and divine mission of Jesus Christ. And Unitarianism promoted social awareness. Writer Robert Browning remarked that “Mr. Dickens is an enlightened Unitarian.” After 1847, however, he did return to the Anglican church near his home. And he faithfully prayed each morning and night.

In or around 1849, Dickens composed The Life of Our Lord, a private retelling of the life of Jesus Christ, intended for his children. Although he did not want it published during his lifetime, this work provides a clear insight into his faith. His interpretation of Christianity was rooted in compassion and a sense of duty to alleviate the suffering of the less fortunate. It was published many years after his death in 1934.

Dickens’s name is almost synonymous with Christmas, largely due to his 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol. This story, centered on the transformation of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, is perhaps Dickens's most famous and enduring work. It played a significant role in shaping the modern concept of Christmas, emphasizing family, goodwill, generosity, and the spirit of the season. The novella was published during a time when Christmas traditions in England were undergoing a revival, and Dickens’s portrayal of the holiday contributed significantly to this cultural shift.

A Christmas Carol is essentially a moral tale of redemption, compassion, and the potential for personal change. It is imbued with Christian themes, though not overtly religious, focusing instead on the Christian virtues of charity, generosity, and kindness. Scrooge's journey from a cold-hearted, greedy man to a kind and generous benefactor encapsulates the essence of Christian redemption — the idea that it is never too late to change and to live a life filled with love and concern for others.

Beyond A Christmas Carol, Dickens featured Christmas in several other works. Stories such as The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, and The Battle of Life reflect Dickens’s fascination with the holiday and its potential for celebrating family bonds, joy, and transformation. Each of these works carries moral lessons and the value of hope amidst adversity.

Dickens saw Christmas as a time to practice Christian charity, and he often used his stories to advocate for social reform. His works exposed the harsh realities of Victorian society, calling for greater empathy and kindness towards the poor and disenfranchised. In many ways, Dickens's Christmas tales became a platform for his social gospel, spreading the message of love and generosity that he saw as central to the Christian faith.

One of the hallmarks of Dickens’s writing is his social critique, particularly concerning the treatment of the poor, children, and the working class. His novels like Oliver Twist, Bleak House, and Hard Times highlight what he perceived as the injustices of Victorian society, often contrasting the wealth and power of the upper classes with the suffering and exploitation of the vulnerable. 

His critique of industrialization, the harsh conditions of workhouses, and the indifference of the rich towards the poor can be seen as an extension of his Christian ethos. Dickens was not just telling stories; he was urging his readers to embrace a more compassionate, socially responsible form of Christianity — one that acted on behalf of the weak and defenseless.

Dickens’s personal life was complex. In 1836, he married Catherine Hogarth, with whom he had ten children. However, the marriage was strained, and the couple separated in 1858. This separation was a source of public scandal, especially given Dickens's moralistic writing. Despite this, he continued to be a devoted father to his children, although his relationships with them were sometimes troubled.

As his fame grew, Dickens embarked on numerous speaking tours, including trips to the United States, where he gave public readings of his works. These tours were physically taxing, but they solidified his reputation as a literary superstar of his time. His public readings of A Christmas Carol were especially popular, reinforcing the association of Dickens with the spirit of Christmas.

Dickens’s health declined in the 1860s due to his relentless work ethic and demanding schedule. In 1865, he survived a train accident, which left him physically and emotionally shaken. Despite his health issues, he continued to write and tour until his death on June 9, 1870. He was buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey, a testament to his literary legacy.

Charles Dickens’s legacy is vast, and his influence on literature, culture, and the celebration of Christmas endures to this day. His Christian faith, while not orthodox in the traditional sense, permeated his works, emphasizing the values of kindness, charity, and social justice. Dickens’s vision of Christmas was not just about festivity and cheer; it was about embodying the spirit of Christ — showing love and compassion to others, particularly the less fortunate.

Dickens's contribution to the revival of Christmas as a family-centered, joyous occasion cannot be understated. Through his stories, he popularized the idea of Christmas as a time of generosity, warmth, and transformation. His depiction of the holiday, with its focus on family gatherings, festive food, and the importance of giving, became a model for Christmas celebrations that persists in modern culture.

And that's all for this episode. Thank you for listening and Merry Christmas to you and yours.