The Coventry Carol: An Advent Meditation

In this episode, we encounter the Coventry Carol, which is the opposite of a holly, jolly Christmas song. It comes from medieval mystery plays, and is a lullaby sung by the mothers of the baby boys about to be killed by King Herod as the Holy Family flees to Egypt. Historically, Advent was not just a time of waiting and reflection—it was also a fasting time for repentance and mourning before the merrymaking feast of Christmas. Listen to learn more and meditate on the Coventry Carol.

Om Podcasten

Listening to the past can help us to understand our present, but it is so difficult to read ancient works of literature and theology alone. I’m Dr. Grace Hamman, a scholar of medieval literature and mother of three. Old Books With Grace shares my love for old books and listens to the wisdom emanating from these long dead voices. My hope is that Old Books With Grace will empower you to approach often intimidating works of literature and theology and as a result, ask questions of our current age. We live in a time that values the new and the now more than ever. But I truly believe that these books speak outside of the echo-chambers in which we so often find ourselves and help us to find ageless truth from lost centuries.