Tom Holland vs the Nativity: NT Wright answers

Ask NT Wright Anything

Premier Unbelievable

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, History

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 December 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem, or did the gospel writers “invent” the story to fit prophecy? Did a Roman census ever force people to travel back to their ancestral towns? And what about Herod’s massacre of the innocents – pure theology, or plausible history?In this special Advent episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird respond to challenges raised by historian Tom Holland (of The Rest Is History podcast) about the birth narratives of Jesus. Tom explains why ancient history is full of gaps, how new evidence has repeatedly vindicated biblical details once dismissed as “unhistorical,” and why we should be cautious about confidently declaring, “That could never have happened.”🎧 If you’ve ever wondered, “Did Luke get Christmas wrong?” or felt unsettled by historical objections to the nativity, this episode will help you think more clearly – without losing the wonder. Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donateGot a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠Start going deeper in the Bible with a free trial at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠logos.com/NT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber like you - they can get 10% off by clicking here (Embed URL: https://askntwright.supportingcast.fm?sc_promo=ASK10) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Do you know what you want for Christmas?
0:02.0	A cute toy.
0:04.0	No, I just want my family back.
0:06.0	That's what I want for Christmas.
0:08.0	We'll see what Santa can do, okay?
0:10.0	It's Christmas, so dear good share.
0:12.0	Merry Christmas.
0:14.0	Tis the season to watch Tally on Channel 4. Stream now.
0:23.3	Well, hello and welcome to another episode of Ask Antity Write Anything, the program where we answer
0:28.9	your questions about Jesus, the Bible, and the life of faith.
0:33.4	And I'm here in London in this Advent season with Tom Wright. Of course, Tom, great to be with you.
0:40.4	Good to see you too. Yes, I'm Tom Wright from Wickley Hall in Oxford.
0:43.5	And I'm Mike Bird from Ridley College in Melbourne. And we're delighted to have you here in the UK just at a time when my compatriots and your compatriots are playing cricket in your part of the world.
0:54.6	Yes, yes.
0:55.4	Well, the first one went pretty good for us, but it's still a long way to go in the series.
1:00.2	Now, this is kind of a special episode.
1:02.2	It's not a bonus episode, but we've got a question from two people,
1:08.1	and they both pertain to Tom Holland on Jesus, in particular the birth of Jesus.
1:16.0	Now, one question is from Ben Goddard of Bristol in the UK, and the other one is from
1:23.1	Sheila Thomas in London. Now, I love Tom Holland, by the way. He's one of my favorite
1:29.2	podcasters. I love the rest of history podcast. And Tom Holland, I think, is brilliant
1:34.8	because he reminds people that all of Western civilization is suffused with Christianity.
	...

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