[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-437428-105":59,"doc-detail-437428-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","the-weirdest-nativity","THE WEIRDEST NATIVITY","","A Christmas nativity retelling set at a school, where traditional costumes collide with bizarre details: a dragon, a lamb in the manger, shattered pottery, and a crowbar-wielding baby. Parents initially blame a new Religious Studies teacher, Mr Latimer, but his calm disciplinary reading of the Bible reveals the story as “legit” in unexpected ways. The narrative contrasts commonly known Gospel accounts (Matthew and Luke) with John’s writings, emphasizing metaphorical and symbolic revelation imagery rather than literal, cinematic interpretations.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":10,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/story-novel/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-weirdest-nativity/437428/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/the-weirdest-nativity/437428.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Ivy","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-02","2026-09-29",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",12,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What unusual elements make the school nativity “the weirdest nativity”?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"The nativity includes a dragon, a lamb in the manger, broken pottery shards on the floor, and a grinning baby holding a crowbar, alongside modified traditional costumes.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Why do parents criticize Mr Latimer, and what does he do at the tribunal?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Parents blame Mr Latimer, the new Religious Studies teacher. At his disciplinary tribunal, he opens a Bible, turns to the relevant passage, and reads aloud references involving a dragon, crowbar imagery, smashed pottery, and a lamb.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How does the book explain why the dragon appears in the Christmas story?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"It contrasts Matthew and Luke’s accounts with John’s writings and argues that John’s Revelation imagery is metaphorical and symbolic, not meant to be read as physical monsters created for special effects or end-times predictions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},437428,1791292007,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":8,"category_name":10,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":145,"read_time":62},549758252649,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/8000253669c5317157?_k=1778319167496531819","THE  \nWEIRDESTNATIVITYAndrew Sach &Jonathan Gemmell  \nDigitized by the Internet Archivein 2020 with funding fromKahle/Austin Foundation  \n# THE\n\nWEIRDESTNATIVITY  \nAndrew Sach&Jonathan Gemmell  \nUnless otherwise stated,Scripture quotations are taken from THEHOLY BIBLE,NEW INTERNATIONALVERSION(AnglicisedEdition).Copyright 1979,1984,2011 by Biblica (formerlyInternational Bible Society).Used by permission of Hodder &Stoughton Publishers.All rights reserved.'NIV'is a registeredtrademark of Biblica.UK trademark number 1448790.  \nCopyright ◎2019 by Andrew Sach and Jonathan GemmellFirst published in Great Britain in 2019  \nThe right of Andrew Sach and Jonathan Gemmell to be identified as theAuthors of this Work has been asserted by them in accordance with theCopyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988.  \nAll rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproducedstored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording or otherwise,withoutthe prior permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.  \nBritish Library Cataloguing in Publication DataA record for this book is available from the British Library  \nISBN:978-1-912373-88-8  \nDesigned and typeset by Pete Barnsley(CreativeHoot.com)Coverillustration by Chris Ilif Illustration(chrisiliff.co.uk)  \nPrinted in Denmark by Norhaven  \n10Publishing,a division of 10ofthose.comUnit C,Tomlinson Road,Leyland,PR252DY,England  \nEmail;info@10ofthose.comWebsite:www.10ofthose.com  \n1357108642  \nDEDICATION  \nTo Jack Wilde,Andrew's godson,whose brother once dressed as adragon for a weird nativity;and to persucted Christiansaround the world  \nTHE WEIRDESTNATIVITY  \nThe school nativity was a bit different this year.Of course there were the usual last-minutecostumes:the tea-towel-and-dressing-gownshepherds;the Burger-King-crown wise men;theawkward Joseph,trying to keep a safe distancefroma Mary who was takingherbetrothal far tooseriously.Everyone was impressed at the Sinclairtwins'donkey costume and it was no surprise thatElla,not one to hide from the limelight,camedressed as a star with a six-foot span.  \nBut why was Harry dressed as a dragon?Why was there a lamb in the manger?Why,inthis health-and-safety-conscious age,were thereshards of broken pottery all over the floor?  \nAnd what was with the grinning baby holdinga crowbar?  \nThis really was the weirdest nativity!  \nDisturbed parents were quick to pointthe finger at Mr Latimer,the new ReligiousStudies teacher,but he seemed unfazed bytheir criticisms.A week later,at his disciplinarytribunal,he calmly picked up a Bible,turned tothe back and began to read aloud of a dragon,a crowbar,smashed pottery and a lamb.Theschoolgovernors were dumbfounded.It was theChristmas story as they'd never heard it before,but it turned out that Mr Latimer's nativity waslegit after all.  \nWe are more familiar with the Christmas storyas recordedby Matthew and Luke.Matthew tellsus that Jesus was born of a virgin in the littletown of Bethlehem,in fulfilment of surprisinglyspecific ancient prophecies.He records the visitof Magi from the east,who followed a star tofind the newborn King and presented him withgifts of gold,frankincense and myrrh.But hedoesn't mention a dragon.  \nLuke begins his narrative by setting out hismethodology as a historian:he interviewed  \nTHE WEIRDEST NATIVITY  \nthe eyewitnesses to find out exactly whathappened.He goes on to describe how theangel Gabriel appeared to Mary,announcing hermiraculous pregnancy.Later,angels brought anannouncement to shepherds who were watchingover their flocks at night:  \nDo not be afraid.I bring you good news thatwill cause great joyfor all the people.Today inthe town of David a Saviour has been born toyou;he is the Messiah,the Lord.  \nLuke is meticulous with historical detail.Butcuriously he overlooks the big red dragon.  \nAlthough John doesn’t record the birth ofJesus,the opening chapter of his gospel is oftenread at Christmas.It speaks of light com","cbCaiiq8QStijwmT","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiq8QStijwmT","pdf",2754922,68,"English","# THE WEIRDESTNATIVITY\n## School Nativity Incident\n## Bible Verses and Gospel Contrasts\n## John’s Revelation and Symbolism","[{\"question\":\"What unusual elements make the school nativity “the weirdest nativity”?\",\"answer\":\"The nativity includes a dragon, a lamb in the manger, broken pottery shards on the floor, and a grinning baby holding a crowbar, alongside modified traditional costumes.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do parents criticize Mr Latimer, and what does he do at the tribunal?\",\"answer\":\"Parents blame Mr Latimer, the new Religious Studies teacher. At his disciplinary tribunal, he opens a Bible, turns to the relevant passage, and reads aloud references involving a dragon, crowbar imagery, smashed pottery, and a lamb.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the book explain why the dragon appears in the Christmas story?\",\"answer\":\"It contrasts Matthew and Luke’s accounts with John’s writings and argues that John’s Revelation imagery is metaphorical and symbolic, not meant to be read as physical monsters created for special effects or end-times predictions.\"}]","THE WEIRDEST NATIVITY | PDF",1790681807]