Santa Claus was not always the plump and cheerful
resident of the North Pole, delivering toys via flying reindeer. How did
he come to be associated with Christmas, and what does Santa reveal about
religion in America today? Learn more at a free lecture offered by the
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
“Inventing Santa Claus,” intended for an adult audience,
will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the Pinery Room of the Portage
Country Public Library, 1001 Main Street, Stevens Point. It will be presented
by Shanny Luft, associate professor of philosophy, and is the fourth talk in
the eight-part College of Letters and Science 2014-2015 Community Lecture
Series. The public may attend free of charge.
Luft first considered the origins of Santa Claus when he
taught a first-year seminar on Christmas.
“Santa,
Christmas trees, Rudolph, gifts – are these myths and rituals religious or
secular? And how can we tell the difference?” asked Luft. “Examining
Santa Claus can raise interesting questions about how the division between the
sacred and the secular is not as clear as it first may seem.”
Luft
received his master’s degree in religion and culture from Boston University and
doctorate in religion in America from the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. His research interests focus on American religion, evangelicalism, and
popular culture.
For more
information on the Community Lecture Series, visit www.uwsp.edu/cols/lectureseries.