Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas is a holiday tradition for generations around the world. A key part of the program has been called “the most magical two minutes in all of TV animation” – the part where Linus shares the true meaning of Christmas. CBN News took a look at the impact of this special and the faith of the man behind it.
Taking a Stand
“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Charlie Brown cried out.
It’s a question that sets up a most memorable scene.
“Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about,” his buddy, Linus, calmly answers. Then, in a simple, yet powerful way, Linus proceeds to share the story of Jesus’ birth from the Gospel of Luke.
“‘For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord,'” he exclaimed.
Peanuts creator Charles Schulz insisted the special include the true meaning of Christmas. In response to hesitancy on the part of the producer and animator, he said, “If we don’t do it, who will?”
Dr. Stephen Lind, author of A Charlie Brown Religion: Exploring the Spiritual Life and Work of Charles M. Schulz, says Schulz stood firm.
“There were actually quite a few things in the special that the executives and some of his creative partners were not too sure about, from the jazz music to the children voice actors and including the religious reference, that got quite a bit of pushback,” Lind explained to CBN News.
“Charles Schulz really planted his feet on a lot of those creative decisions, and at the end of the day, when the studio executives viewed the special, even though they were very wary about it, as it turns out, they did not have a lot of time to come up with a new special,” he continued.
“And they had already advertised for it, so because of the scheduling, they were kind of stuck to go with Schulz’s creative vision, and as it turns out, the public loved it,” Lind said.
READ ‘A Charlie Brown Religion’ Explores Charles Schulz’s Faith
‘Beloved Classic’
The show debuted in December of 1965 to rave reviews and went on to win a primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program.
“In the 1960s when it first aired, there were lots of letters sent to Schulz and the sponsor, Coca-Cola, telling them that the viewers were so gratified to see a substantive reference to religion on TV,” shared Lind. “Some of those letters from the 1960s sound like they could have been written today.”
“A Charlie Brown Christmas is still quite the beloved classic,” he added.
Paul Batura of Focus on the Family describes Schulz as Frozen in Time, Not Woke, and Oh So Wonderful.
“I think people look forward to it every year; I think it centers people,” Batura told CBN News. “You know our first impressions make a big impression, and for most of us, we saw ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ when we were three, four, five years old, and that sticks with us.”
“And we’re reminded when we hear that voice when we hear the reading of the Gospel of Luke, we’re reminded why we celebrate Christmas,” he continued. “And so I think it has had a very much a net positive impact on the world.”
Faith Questions
The faith of Schulz has been scrutinized over the years. He’s been called a fundamentalist Christian, a universalist, an atheist, and reportedly called himself a secular humanist in the latter part of his life.
Lind says Schulz’s faith was very personal to him.
“Schulz had a biblical faith that was maybe more nuanced than some of the denominational dogma that some of his peers would have, but it was a personal, biblical faith that he would talk to close confidants about over the years and include in his strips, even if it was a little bit more nuanced and broad then some of the traditional teachings,” he explained.
“Some have tried to sanctify him, and some have tried to vilify him, even accusing him of some heretical beliefs,” shared Batura. “I think the reality is he was somewhere in the middle, and I say that because look at the fruit of his work; look at what he produced, and look at what we still enjoy today.”
“And I have a very, very good feeling about where Charles Schulz was with his Christian faith,” he continued.
Regent University Dean of Divinity Dr. Corne Bekker also says it’s important to look at Schulz’s work.
“I think Schulz would want us to judge his legacy and the person that he is, based on the material that he put out there,” Bekker told CBN News. “And when we look at the comic strip, when we look at ‘Peanuts’, when we look at the Christmas special, what an extraordinary legacy of not only faith but also the meaning of community.”
“We are stronger when we come together,” he added.
Only God truly knows the heart and faith of Charles Schulz. What we do know, however, is year after year, a little boy he created tells the world about Jesus Christ:
“And that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
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