An edition of The journey of the Magi (1997)
The journey of the Magi
meanings in history of a Christian story
By Richard C. Trexler
Publish Date
1997
Publisher
Princeton University Press
Language
eng
Pages
294
Description:
Matthew's Gospel reveals little about the three wealthy visitors said to have presented gifts to the infant Jesus. Yet hundreds of generations of Christians have embellished that image of the Three Kings or Magi for a myriad of social and political as well as spiritual purposes. Here Richard Trexler closely examines how this story has been interpreted and used throughout the centuries. Biblically, the Journey of the Magi presents a positive image of worldly power, depicting the faithful in progress toward their God and conveying the importance of the gift-giving laity as legitimators of their deity. With this in mind, Trexler explains in particular how Western societies have molded the story to describe and augment their own power - before the infant God and among themselves.