Podcast Summary: The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Episode: The Meaning of Christmas
Date: December 19, 2025
Host: Scott Bertram
Guests: Dr. Ken Calvert (Professor of Ancient History, Hillsdale College), Dr. Timothy McDonnell (Associate Professor and Director of Sacred Music, Hillsdale College)

Episode Overview

This Christmas edition of The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour explores the profound theological meaning, historical roots, and enduring traditions surrounding Christmas. Dr. Ken Calvert dissects the Incarnation's significance, traces ancient and medieval customs, and reflects on the figures central to the Nativity. Later, Dr. Timothy McDonnell dives into the history and enduring joy of the Christmas hymn “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” (“In Dulci Jubilo”). The episode offers both deep theological insight and celebratory appreciation for Christmas music and tradition.

The Meaning of Christmas: Key Discussion Points

1. Theological Foundations & The Incarnation

Timestamp: 01:16–05:20

• Christmas’ Core: Not about materialism, but “the idea that God becomes man” (02:01–02:06).
• Dr. Calvert emphasizes the radical nature of the Incarnation, a concept alien to ancient cultures:

  “This is something that strikes their culture...the God of the universe...becomes man. And why? This is absolutely the point of all of salvation history.” (02:09–02:35, Dr. Calvert)

• The Incarnation fulfills prophecies from Genesis, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.
• “He dies on the cross, and in order to die, he has to have a body. Right? And that’s what we’re talking about here.” (04:25–04:30, Dr. Calvert)
• Early Christians centered on Easter, but the Nativity (“God coming into the world”) is foundational.

2. Cultural Evolution of Christmas

Timestamp: 05:20–07:14

• Christmas has absorbed family, gift-giving, and cultural customs.
• Despite secularization and attempts to erase it, Christmas persists because “something truly monumental is being celebrated on this day.” (06:16–06:31, Dr. Calvert)
• “The word Christmas still has Christ in it. Even if we say Happy Holiday, we’re still saying Happy Holy Day.” (05:57, Dr. Calvert)

3. Christmas in the Liturgical Calendar

Timestamp: 07:32–11:37

• Dr. Calvert explains the octave (eight days) of Christmas, rooted in Jewish festal tradition, and the 12 Days of Christmas ending at Epiphany.
• The octave and the 12 days extend celebration, “pulling out all the stops.”

  “What Christmas represents is God beginning the process. Him coming as incarnate God to, you know, atone for our sins...so we’re just thanking God, opening up all the stops.” (08:47–09:08, Dr. Calvert)

• Early Christian calendars included feasts such as St. Stephen’s Day and remembrance of the Holy Innocents.

4. Loss and Survival of Tradition

Timestamp: 11:37–12:34

• Customs persist only dimly; e.g., Boxing Day in England “is a little remnant...where you actually receive your gifts and Christmas is a holy day.” (11:56, Dr. Calvert)
• Cultural memory of the octave and 12 Days is faint in modern times.

5. The Holy Family: Lessons from Mary and Joseph

Timestamp: 12:34–22:36

• Joseph’s Example:
  • Often overlooked, yet “his job is to oversee, to look after the woman who’s going to give birth to God and then look after incarnate God himself...” (13:15–13:23, Dr. Calvert)
  • Joseph’s obedience, protection, and righteousness emphasized.
• Mary’s Role:
  • The “yes” of Mary contrasted with Eve’s “no”—highlighted since Irenaeus.
  • Mary is “the person through whom [God] enters...without her, he can’t be called a true human being.” (21:02–21:08, Dr. Calvert)
  • Early church and reformers praised her immense faith.
• Both figures model faith, obedience, and spiritual humility.

6. The Christmas Story as Foreshadowing

Timestamp: 22:36–27:19

• The Nativity story previews Christ’s later mission—opposition from Herod (“King of the Jews”) (22:55).
• Visit of the Magi has both political and theological significance:

  “The magi...show up in town looking for this king of the Jews. Herod’s alarms are going off...because these are the enemy.” (24:32–24:46, Dr. Calvert)

• The gifts and events foreshadow both Jesus’s kingship and suffering.

7. Lowly Birth & The “Forgotten” Witnesses

Timestamp: 28:23–36:12

• Birth “was not comfortable”—Jesus enters the world in poverty and humility (28:41–29:41).
• Shepherds symbolize the lowly and humble as first witnesses.

  “Some of the lowest of society...who do you put out there to look after the sheep? The ones that are most expendable.” (30:29–30:46, Dr. Calvert)

• Simeon and Anna at the temple are highlighted as often-overlooked participants who proclaim the universal reach of Christ’s salvation (33:22–36:12).

8. Spiritual Reflection & Christian Approach

Timestamp: 36:12–40:37

• Christmas is a time for Christians to “stop and think about what the Incarnation means” (36:24).
• The Crèche/Nativity scene symbolizes God “breath[ing] the same air that we breathe...present with us.” (37:41–37:53, Dr. Calvert)
• Importance of family, forgiveness, and focusing on the eternal over the temporal.

  “What I love to remind people is we’ve been celebrating Christmas for 2000 years...What is important to remember is that Christmas overrides all of that, that all of that is temporary, it’s temporal...Who we’re worshiping at Christmas is eternal.” (38:57–39:27, Dr. Calvert)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “God Himself breathes the same air that we breathe, and he is there present with us...That, to me, is a great symbol.” (00:25, 37:41, Dr. Calvert)
• “All of Scripture points ahead to this...In Genesis, chapter three, the woman who gives birth to the child who crushed the head of the serpent. This is the key.” (03:20–03:41, Dr. Calvert)
• “Mary who says yes...carries God, provides God with his flesh so that he can be killed on a cross in the atonement, rise from the dead and even ascended into heaven in the flesh.” (19:21–19:41, Dr. Calvert)
• “At the core of this whole celebration is something much more profound.” (06:47, Dr. Calvert)

The Hymn: “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” with Dr. Timothy McDonnell

Timestamp: 44:11–57:59

1. Origins and Mystical Story

• Originates as “In Dulci Jubilo,” a 14th-century German-Latin carol attributed to mystic friar Heinrich Suzo.
• Suzo claimed he heard the song from angels “and was invited by the angels into a kind of a dance” (45:16, Dr. McDonnell), embedding dance-like qualities in the melody.

2. Lyrics, Message, & Musical Qualities

• The carol is exuberant, joyful, and “a kind of exuberant joy...to the point of dancing in the birth of the Christ Child.” (47:16, Dr. McDonnell)
• Features “macaronic” blending of Latin and German (later English).
• Noted for playful rhyme interplaying between languages and the unintentional “news, news” repetition caused by a nineteenth-century musical transcription error.

3. Musical Style and Enduring Appeal

• Though high art of the 14th century was exceedingly complex, this folk-like melody is simple, triadic, and highly adaptable.
• Used by J.S. Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, Franz Liszt, and Gustav Holst in various compositions due to its simplicity and flexibility.

4. Enduring Popularity

• Remains widely published and celebrated; “currently at the zenith of its popularity...in about 50% of all the hymnals” as of 2023 (53:48, Dr. McDonnell).
• Its catchy, dance-like quality “is going to plug you into a tremendous history of melody that is at least legendarily descended straight from heaven.” (54:42, Dr. McDonnell)

5. Language, Translation, and Poetic Challenge

• Discussion of cultural loss when Latin is removed from translations—original played on the interplay of rhymes and universal literacy in Latin (55:11–55:52).
• “To get it to rhyme in English, sometimes you have to depart pretty significantly from the sense of the original language...requires tremendous talent.” (57:20–57:33, Dr. McDonnell)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Opening & Main Theme: 00:25–01:16
• Theological Foundation: 01:16–05:20
• Modern Customs vs. Original Meaning: 05:20–07:14
• Liturgical Calendar & Early Practices: 07:32–11:37
• The Holy Family: 12:34–22:36
• Nativity, Magi, & Political Context: 22:36–27:19
• Shepherds & Forgotten Witnesses: 28:23–36:12
• Spiritual Reflection & Family: 36:12–40:37
• Hymn Segment Begins: 44:11
• Origins & Mystical Story: 44:41–47:07
• Lyrics, Message & Musical Qualities: 47:07–50:32
• Adaptation & Popularity: 50:43–54:53
• Language & Translation: 54:53–57:50

Conclusion

This episode artfully balances profound theological discussion with historical and musical appreciation. Dr. Calvert’s reflections invite listeners to ponder the incarnation’s centrality, the example of the holy family, and the enduring need to keep Christmas' deeper meaning at heart—beyond cultural trappings. Dr. McDonnell’s segment on “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” celebrates a beloved carol’s ancient origins, its musical ingenuity, and its message of exuberant joy, beautifully capping this celebration of Christmas faith and tradition.