• "This is a brilliant book - both quirky and thought provoking. Bearded or not you should definitely read it."

    Paula Gooder
  • "I love this hirsute ‘horrible history’ of the church. It’s funny, enlightening and completely novel - which is some achievement given the history of Christendom!"

    Dave Tomlinson
  • "On the face of it tracking the history and theology of men’s facial hair throughout the Bible and the history of the church may “be-a-rd-ifficult” concept for some of us to take seriously. But I “mustache-sure” you that it leads to an unusual yet intriguing read. Beyond the fuzz, Mouse helps us to explore male identity, gender disparity, cultural appropriation and the contextualisation of the gospel."
    Krish Kandiah
  • "Despite not having a beard (the occasional pre menopausal random chin hair aside) this is a hairy good read. Beard theology? I mean, who knew? A must for everyone from 70s style oxbridge chin stroking theologians to church in an industrial unit hipster evangelicals."

    Rev'd Kate Bottley
  • "Smart, funny and absolutely fascinating. Lurking behind all that facial hair is an unexpectedly profound exploration of the way beliefs turn to rules and change the way we look and act. This book is wonderfully revealing about human nature."

    Cole Moreton

Santa's beard

Mouse has penned an article for Premier Christianity about the history of Santa and why he has a beard.  It is a rather fun story which traces the history of Santa Clause back to St Nicholas and the totally separate history of Father Christmas. Obviously when you get back to a fourth century bishop, the question of facial hair gets theological. This story isn't in the book, so do head over and read it.


Much has been written about the traditional appearance of Santa and how we have come to a pretty common global image of a man in red robes with a long white beard and a big cuddly belly. This is often (wrongly) attributed to a certain brand of soft drink. But little has been written on why he has a beard. You may be surprised to learn that the reason for Santa's facial fur is theological.  >> Read More






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