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The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus: The True Life and Trials of Nicholas of Myra
"The history of Nicholas presents a tantalizing riddle. At first, there is nothing―no writings, disciples, or major acts. Then, curiously, story fragments and rumors begin to surface like driftwood in the water. A church is built in his honor at Constantinople and the next thing you know, he's an international symbol of holiday cheer and goodwill, an absolutely essential part of the Christmas tradition, and the joy of boys and girls everywhere ...."
―from the Introduction
With his rosy cheeks and matching red suit―and ever-present elf and reindeer companions―Santa Claus may be the most identifiable of fantastical characters. But what do we really know of jolly old Saint Nicholas, "patron saint" of Christmastime? Ask about the human behind the suit, and the tale we know so well quickly fades into myth and folklore.
In The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus , religious historian Adam English tells the true and compelling tale of Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra. Around the fourth century in what is now Turkey, a boy of humble circumstance became a man revered for his many virtues. Chief among them was dealing generously with his possessions, once lifting an entire family out of poverty with a single―and secret―gift of gold, so legend tells. Yet he was much more than virtuous. As English reveals, Saint Nicholas was of integral influence in events that would significantly impact the history and development of the Christian church, including the Council of Nicaea, the destruction of the temple to Artemis in Myra, and a miraculous rescue of three falsely accused military officers. And Nicholas became the patron saint of children and sailors, merchants and thieves, as well as France, Russia, Greece, and myriad others.
Weaving together the best historical and archaeological evidence available with the folklore and legends handed down through generations, English creates a stunning image of this much venerated Christian saint. With prose as enjoyable as it is informative, he shows why the life―and death―of Nicholas of Myra so radically influenced the formation of Western history and Christian thought, and did so in ways many have never realized.
―from the Introduction
With his rosy cheeks and matching red suit―and ever-present elf and reindeer companions―Santa Claus may be the most identifiable of fantastical characters. But what do we really know of jolly old Saint Nicholas, "patron saint" of Christmastime? Ask about the human behind the suit, and the tale we know so well quickly fades into myth and folklore.
In The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus , religious historian Adam English tells the true and compelling tale of Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra. Around the fourth century in what is now Turkey, a boy of humble circumstance became a man revered for his many virtues. Chief among them was dealing generously with his possessions, once lifting an entire family out of poverty with a single―and secret―gift of gold, so legend tells. Yet he was much more than virtuous. As English reveals, Saint Nicholas was of integral influence in events that would significantly impact the history and development of the Christian church, including the Council of Nicaea, the destruction of the temple to Artemis in Myra, and a miraculous rescue of three falsely accused military officers. And Nicholas became the patron saint of children and sailors, merchants and thieves, as well as France, Russia, Greece, and myriad others.
Weaving together the best historical and archaeological evidence available with the folklore and legends handed down through generations, English creates a stunning image of this much venerated Christian saint. With prose as enjoyable as it is informative, he shows why the life―and death―of Nicholas of Myra so radically influenced the formation of Western history and Christian thought, and did so in ways many have never realized.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 2, 2018
This highly informative history pieces together what we know of the life of St. Nicholas. It is very factual, citing different accounts that connect to Nicholas' life and works, and listing the place and year of these accounts' origins. While some of these accounts are questionable, it is amazing how so many varied sources agree on several of the same basic ideas. A handful of accounts also give dates and specific names of officials involved, lending authenticity. English builds a convincing case for the existence of this man, and he gets beyond the legend to piece together a clear, realistic narrative of St. Nicholas' life. English also traces how some of the plainer facts about his life have grown through the centuries into fantastical legends, and he illustrates how a few particular incidents in his life have led disparate groups of people to claim his as their patron (sailors, pawnbrokers, children, etc.). He also traces how the legend of St. Nicholas has spread geographically and through commerce, and how his still being celebrated and recognized today.
The best part for me, though, was that English also grounds Nicholas' life in the larger historical and political context. He starts as far back as the first century, explaining how the Jewish and Christian religions existed alongside the polytheistic Greek and Roman religions, and how the empire brought together diverse people from many cultures. English explains many beliefs and traditions associated with the goddess Artemis, whom St. Nicholas would largely displace in the coming centuries. He talks of the emperor Constantinople, who changed Christianity forever. Nicholas lived in a time of great change, and English does a remarkable job of bringing that historical period to life. I was especially interested in his writings about the Council of Nicaea in 325. I remember learning about this in college, and some of the decisions made in this council (and in another that followed it) are still upheld and recited today. Nicholas' involvement in the Council, however slight, still makes for very interesting reading.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history or folklore, or who likes reading about religions, Christmas, or Santa Claus. I enjoyed it immensely.
The best part for me, though, was that English also grounds Nicholas' life in the larger historical and political context. He starts as far back as the first century, explaining how the Jewish and Christian religions existed alongside the polytheistic Greek and Roman religions, and how the empire brought together diverse people from many cultures. English explains many beliefs and traditions associated with the goddess Artemis, whom St. Nicholas would largely displace in the coming centuries. He talks of the emperor Constantinople, who changed Christianity forever. Nicholas lived in a time of great change, and English does a remarkable job of bringing that historical period to life. I was especially interested in his writings about the Council of Nicaea in 325. I remember learning about this in college, and some of the decisions made in this council (and in another that followed it) are still upheld and recited today. Nicholas' involvement in the Council, however slight, still makes for very interesting reading.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history or folklore, or who likes reading about religions, Christmas, or Santa Claus. I enjoyed it immensely.
December 3, 2013
Many of the books about good old "Saint Nicholas" confuse two very different persons. The difference is a subtle one. The term "saint" in Greek can be translated "osios" or "hagios" but in ancient times had a subtle distinction. "Osios" was used to describe ascetic and monastic saints, and "hagios" was used to describe martyurs and churchmen. Thus until recently there has been a great deal of confusion between Nicholas of Myra (ca. 300) and Nicholas of Sion (ca. 600). The two both lived in proximity to one another, but in medieval lives of saints they were fused into one person. And until recently with newly discovered sources attempt to demythologize the true "Saint Nic." English does this in a winsome way that will give a much deeper understanding into the legend behind Santa Claus--including modern attempts to commercialize it such as Coca Cola's use of "Santa Claus" to help keep the Women's Christian Temperance Union off their heels. I highly recommend this book!
December 15, 2013
In a society that sees Santa as little more than a vending machine foor our consumption, the story of Nicholas of Myra is a refreshing account of selflessness, courage, compassion, and inspiration.
March 3, 2023
I was reading this for research, not enjoyment. But it was pretty enjoyable and very informative. I appreciate the author's dedication to separating myth and legend from historical fact, when there is very little record of the actual person to piece together. The author wove together a cohesive and straightforward narrative. It's definitely tinted through a theologian's lens, but he presents all of the information to let the reader decide.
For readers who might pick this up to learn more about Santa Claus, this is not the book. This is about Saint Nicholas of Myra, the (most-likely) real person that did some good deeds and was alive at the right time in the development of Christianity to be swirled in with a lot of pagan beliefs and therefore became larger than life after death.
For readers who might pick this up to learn more about Santa Claus, this is not the book. This is about Saint Nicholas of Myra, the (most-likely) real person that did some good deeds and was alive at the right time in the development of Christianity to be swirled in with a lot of pagan beliefs and therefore became larger than life after death.
January 27, 2013
The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus by Adam C. English is a hagiography of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a Byzantine Saint who lived through the Christian persecutions, and the reign of Emperor Constantine, a Christian ruler who mandated Christianity to be the state religion of the Roman Empire. He is also said to have been in attendance during the first Catholic conferences at Nicea, wherein the tenants of the faith were solidified, and where the Nicene Creed was established (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381 B.C.). It may come as a surprise to many that the Jolly Old Elf of Coca-Cola commercial fame, was actually a staunch defender of justice, and had no fear of the occasional brawl with fellow Bishops when there was a theological disagreement.
The biography covers the many myths and the best available histories of this beloved Saint. Saint Nicholas is known throughout the world by many names, and is beloved for many reasons. He is not just the benefactor of children, or the merry old elf of Christmas tales but is the patron of mariners, soldiers, knights, dock workers, seminarians, brewers, and lawyers, just to name a few.
Adam English writes that the legends surrounding Santa Claus may well stem from the confusion between two Saints with the same names, living in close proximity to each other, and almost in the same historical time frames: Nicholas of Myra and Nicholas of Sion.
Nicholas of Myra is said to have rescued three young maidens from being sold into a brothel by their father, because he was poor and could not afford them dowries. On three separate occasions, Nicholas went to the man’s home in the dead of night, and three bags of coins were dropped, thrown and hurled through an window, down a chimney, and lastly, landing in a sock placed on the mantle to dry. On the third time, the man was waiting, and to his surprise found their secret benefactor to be none other than their Bishop.
Another occasion Nicholas is said to have interceded for three young soldiers, “innocents” as they were called, which lead to other myths of three young murdered children being miraculously resurrected.
Nicholas lived through the transition from a pagan society to a Christian one. He is said to have personally toppled the great local shrine to the deity Artemis (Diana) that had held sway in the minds of local popular superstition for centuries.
When Nicholas’ body was laid to rest in Myra, it exuded the most fragrant odor of sanctity that could be smelled for miles, even across the ocean. Every year monks would open tomb to collect the “myrrh” of Saint Nicholas, said to heal all manner of illness. In 1087, the shrine was in danger of desecration by Seljuk Turks. A company of seafaring Barian Venetians, entered the shrine, broke open the reliquary, and bore off the bones of the beloved Saint to their home town of Bari, where it remains today.
Nicholas comes down us as Santa Claus, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, and a wealth of other affectionate names. He is the first Saint to achieve such merit. His is a worldwide fame engendering the great charity of the Christmas Season. He single-handedly created the mold for Christmas cheer, charity, and gift giving. It is also a model for the world to hold such charity in our hearts for all other seasons of the year.
The biography covers the many myths and the best available histories of this beloved Saint. Saint Nicholas is known throughout the world by many names, and is beloved for many reasons. He is not just the benefactor of children, or the merry old elf of Christmas tales but is the patron of mariners, soldiers, knights, dock workers, seminarians, brewers, and lawyers, just to name a few.
Adam English writes that the legends surrounding Santa Claus may well stem from the confusion between two Saints with the same names, living in close proximity to each other, and almost in the same historical time frames: Nicholas of Myra and Nicholas of Sion.
Nicholas of Myra is said to have rescued three young maidens from being sold into a brothel by their father, because he was poor and could not afford them dowries. On three separate occasions, Nicholas went to the man’s home in the dead of night, and three bags of coins were dropped, thrown and hurled through an window, down a chimney, and lastly, landing in a sock placed on the mantle to dry. On the third time, the man was waiting, and to his surprise found their secret benefactor to be none other than their Bishop.
Another occasion Nicholas is said to have interceded for three young soldiers, “innocents” as they were called, which lead to other myths of three young murdered children being miraculously resurrected.
Nicholas lived through the transition from a pagan society to a Christian one. He is said to have personally toppled the great local shrine to the deity Artemis (Diana) that had held sway in the minds of local popular superstition for centuries.
When Nicholas’ body was laid to rest in Myra, it exuded the most fragrant odor of sanctity that could be smelled for miles, even across the ocean. Every year monks would open tomb to collect the “myrrh” of Saint Nicholas, said to heal all manner of illness. In 1087, the shrine was in danger of desecration by Seljuk Turks. A company of seafaring Barian Venetians, entered the shrine, broke open the reliquary, and bore off the bones of the beloved Saint to their home town of Bari, where it remains today.
Nicholas comes down us as Santa Claus, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, and a wealth of other affectionate names. He is the first Saint to achieve such merit. His is a worldwide fame engendering the great charity of the Christmas Season. He single-handedly created the mold for Christmas cheer, charity, and gift giving. It is also a model for the world to hold such charity in our hearts for all other seasons of the year.
November 27, 2012
An excerpt of a review recently posted on Schaeffer's Ghost:
This is, I think, a great reminder to Christians of the importance of humble, everyday acts of obedience. Most of us will never participate in or even witness a physical miracle. We can’t calm the sea for endangered sailors or multiply the supply of wheat or ooze magical healing goo from our tombs, as Saint Nicholas is rumored to have done. And even if we have the opportunity to punch a heretic, it might be best to abstain (criminal assault laws being what they are). Nevertheless all of us can be good stewards of whatever blessings we have received. And while our salvation comes not from our good works but from our position in Christ and his atoning death on the cross for our sins, He calls His justified people to a life of obedience. Trusting in His grace and relying on His power, we can obey God in the small things and trust that in His sovereignty He can use these small daily obediences to bring glory to His name in ways we could never imagine.Full review available here.
January 6, 2016
After dozens of kid's books on Old St Nick that are pure fantasy, I wanted something more historically accurate. This is the best I have found in this category, though it is more about the history of legends about St Nicholas of Myra than a true record of his life. I found the author flipped rather loosely between imagination and historical documents. At the same time, the vivid stories depicted several tumultuous period of Christian history. In addition to the lovable gift giver, St Nick's potent memory has been invoked in epic conflicts, including the transition from the Roman and Greek pantheons to Christianity after Constantine's conversion in the 4th century, and later from Christian to Muslim control of Myra, Turkey in the 11th cent. This is heavier than the "inspirational" genre, but a more light-hearted look at Christian history than your typical academic tome.
October 23, 2014
I usually try to read an upbeat book during advent directed at the Christmas season. I started this book last year at that time, unfortunately it was not quite what I was looking for, so I went onto something else and set this book aside to and ended up finishing it this year. Nonetheless, it is a valuable book. It is a historical review that looks at the legend of Saint Nicholas and compares it to research about the era and locale where he lived. The results are quite interesting.
June 14, 2015
Well, I didn't actually finish this book before it had to go back to the library. What I did read of it was very good, though. It even initiated a night of scripture study when I got to the part about the Council of Nicea and their debate and eventual decision about the Holy Trinity. I would recommend it.
March 25, 2020
St. Nicholas has always fascinated me - so much so that I named my first son for him. But most of what I knew about St. Nicholas was all legend, so it was interesting to learn the truth behind the legend, as well as more legends about the blessed confessor of our faith. I'm all the more proud, after finishing this book, to have my son share his namesake.
November 10, 2017
This book was way too dry of a read. It is interesting to know about the history of Saint Nicholas but quote after quote from the Bible gets old after a while.
March 29, 2018
This was a fascinating look at the post-Hellenistic world. It would have been fascinating to live through this period.
January 7, 2022
Adam English has written a fine book exploring the life and fabulous myths surrounding Nicholas of Myra. The best aspect of this book is how English situates Nicholas in his ancient context. There is history illuminated in this text that I was vaguely familiar with but hadn’t made necessary connections with contemporary events. English also does an excellent job of sorting the likely factual events from almost surely fables. Sometimes he can trace the trajectory from the actual event in Nicholas’s life through augmentations of events to stories that on the surface don’t appear even related to the original. English also tells Nicholas’s life events that may or may not be accurate. Sometimes it is evident what English thinks, but generally, he leaves it to the reader to decide what they believe. This is a book that, while not life-changing, is fun and profitable for reading.
August 9, 2021
We actually know very little about the life of the true St. Nicholas of Myra. Certainly not enough to justify a full length book. So the author padded his book with myths, legends, and other tangential material. It reads like a college term paper, not a professionally published book. I found it disappointing and a little boring in places.
December 20, 2020
There were some interesting details of life back then and how he went about using his wealth to help others in need anonymously... BUT it was more on the development and spread of christianity and how it evolved. Clearly his original purpose has been taken to a new level!
December 8, 2021
Lots of history of the 4th century, not a lot on facts of St Nicholas. Still, sorts through the multiple confusing sources .
December 27, 2014
There is no doubt that Saint Nicholas did exist and that he was a faithful, God-fearing man. He was a defender of those who could not defend themselves. But more importantly, he was a fearless defender of Christianity. While this book gives great detail about Saint Nicholas and even explains how the current popular image of Santa Claus came to be, it doesn't do a great job of connecting the two. I would love to see a follow-up about the birth of the modern Santa Claus and how he came to be connected with Saint Nicholas.
December 13, 2012
Study of the life of the historical Saint Nicholas. Uses lots of sources, but because the hard and fast facts of his life are few (and he gets mixed up with another Nicholas), this winds up being mostly a book about what a man of his class and calling might have lived like, rather than what he really did. Still, once you catch on, it's interesting. Surprisingly little material which connects Nicholas with the figure of Santa Claus.
January 7, 2017
My review depends on what you want from the book. I was hoping for a light-hearted review of some of the St. Nicholas (bishop) stories. There are some of those, but ultimately the book is a very exhaustive compendium of all that has been written about St. Nicholas and which parts are historically legitimate and which are conflated from other stories. I am sure the author took great time and energy to confirm these. Useful to know, but maybe not what you (or I) were looking for in this book.
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February 14, 2013Excellent comprehensive history for anyone wanting to know about the real Saint Nicholas. I used this as the basis for a Christmas Eve sermon on the real Saint Nicholas as a true follower of Christ. The image of Saint Nick punching out Arius at the Council of Nicea is rich! No mere "jolly old elf" here!
November 17, 2012
Now when your kids ask if there really is a Santa Clause, you can say yes! And let me tell you about him… Very interesting to learn about the real person behind the legend. For more of my reviews, visit my web site, ChildressInk.
May 12, 2014
Insightful about reverence and tails of early saints. Shed light on practices of relic veneration to me. No idea about the origin of pawn shop symbol, also pointed me to the book on infant baptism I read next.
August 11, 2013
Interesting.
December 28, 2013
Dry is an overstatement and this coming from someone who reads a lot of non-fiction. That said provided an interesting look into early church history through the backstory of one saint.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews