RNC clarifies it was not referring to 'new King' Trump in Christmas statement

(Image credit: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

The Republican National Committee's Christmas message on Sunday, issued in the name of chairman Reince Priebus and co-chairwoman Sharon Day, included this line, after a sentence clearly referring to the birth of Jesus: "Just as the three wise men did on that night, this Christmas heralds a time to celebrate the good news of a new King." The message did not mention Donald Trump, for whom Priebus will serve as White House chief of staff, but the sentence still brought out the theologians and liturgists on social media — who pointed out, among other things, that the three wise men did not herald Jesus' arrival on Christmas, the angels and shepherds did. (In the Western Christian tradition, the three wise men or kings arrive in Bethlehem on Jan. 6 to pay homage to Jesus.) The wording of "a new King" was maybe a wee bit ambivalent, too:

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.