A Christmas Carol Special Edition, The Charles Dickens Classic with Christian Insights and Discussion Questions for Groups and Families, By Charles Dickens, edited by Stephen Skelton.
Disney has a new movie based on this tale out this holiday season, so I was interested to read this annontated version!
Dickens published this tale in 1843. It is the tale of a miserly old man and the ghosts who visit him, and it has been bringing the true spirit of Christmas into hearts and homes ever since. Whether you've read the story a thousand times or have only seen one of the many vaired movies, A Christmas Carol Special Edition will enrich your enjoyment of this holiday favorite with:
- The complete text of the Charles Dickens classic.
- Did you know that Dickens thought of the book as a CAROL, and that he made each chapter a stave (stanza) of the song? The meaning of Carol at the time was a a song celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ (secular holiday songs were just that, NOT carols).
- Skelton incldes definitions of words that may be unfamiliar to our modern ears, or that may have had a different or altered meaning in 1834- for example at that time the Christmas Holidays referred to the time from Christmas day to january 6th (Ephiany)-12 days total.
- Annotations offering interesting insight into the story's biblical allusions, the author's faith, and compelling Christian themes throughout.
- Example (pg 49) , "when a woman chastises Scrooge for his love of wealth, she is refering to Exodus 32 - saying he has sacrificed his sacred love for a sacrilegious one"
- Example (Page 101)- "Dickens placed so much importance on godly goos deeds, that he instructed his childrenn in his will to "humbly to try to guide themselves by the teaching of the New testament in its broad spirit".
- Example (page 73)- " Dickens presents a paradigm of Chirstian living, which Bob shows by forgiving and showing goodwill toward his offender (Scrooge), and his good example affecting his wife for the better"
- Discussion questions designed to engage and promote dialogue among readers of all ages on such subjects as regret, repentance, and redemption.
- each discussion relates a key bibical verse to the staves that were just read, then questions to make sure you understood what was read, questions on how to relate the verses and questions to your life and further bible study verses
- A list of related resources to enhance your study.
- includes audio recording, childrens versions of the tale and books about Dicken
A Christmas Carol Special Edition would be a great read for a bible study group, book group, or Advent special lecture, as it is an interesting, educational and rewarding read! It would also make a great pre-Christmas hostess gift!
Charles Dickens has held the title of the world's most celebrated nineteenth-century novelist for more than two centuries. Incredibly, his popularity continues to grow today. In addtion to A Christmas Carol, his legendary literary works include Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities,and Great Expectations.
Stephen Skelton is the producer of a best-selling video-based Bible study series, which includes The Mayberry Bible Study and The Beverly Hillbillies Bible Study. He lives with his family in Nashville, Tennessee.
Disclosure: FSB Associates sent me this book, at no cost to me, for review purposes. I was NOT compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product!
