Editing Christ (title) (section)

==Symbols==
{{See also|Christogram|Xian (abbreviation)|Xmas}}
{{multiple image
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|image1=Simple Labarum2.svg
|caption1=The ''[[Chi Rho]]''
|image2=Christ Pantocrator, Church of the Holy Sepulchre.png
|caption2=''Christ Pantocrator'' mosaic, [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]], showing use of '''''ΧϹ''''' digraph
}}

The use of "Χ" as an abbreviation for "Christ" derives from the Greek letter [[Chi (letter)|Chi]] (χ), in the word {{lang|grc-latn|Christós}} ({{Langx|grc|Χριστός|lit=anointed, covered in oil|translit=khristós|links=no}}). An early Christogram is the ''[[Chi Rho]]'' symbol, formed by superimposing the first two Greek letters in Christ, chi (Χ) and [[rho]] (Ρ), to produce <big>☧</big>.<ref>{{cite book |title = Symbols of the Christian faith |first=Alva William |last=Steffler |year=2002 |isbn=0-8028-4676-9 |page = 66 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans }}</ref>

The centuries-old English word ''[[Χmas]]'' (or, in earlier form, ''XPmas'') is an English form of χ-mas,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Griffiths |first1=Emma |title=Why get cross about Xmas? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4097755.stm |access-date=22 April 2022 |work=BBC News |date=22 December 2004}}</ref> itself an abbreviation for Christ-mas. The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' (''OED'') and the ''OED Supplement'' have cited usages of "X-" or "Xp-" for "Christ-" as early as 1485. The terms "Xpian" and "Xren" have been used for "Christian", "Xst" for "Christ's" "Xρofer" for [[Saint Christopher|(Saint) Christopher]] and Xmas, Xstmas, and Xtmas for Christmas. The ''OED'' further cites usage of "Xtianity" for "Christianity" from 1634.{{NoteTag|[[Viz.]] '''''1485''''' ''[[Rolls of Parliament]]'' VI.280/I The most famous, beloved, and Xren Prince. '''''1573''''' [[John Baret|Baret]] ''[[John Baret#Dictionary|Alv.]]'' [[List of Latin phrases (S)#sub verbo|s.v.]] V. "The long mistaking of this woorde Xps standing for Chrs by abbreuiation which fore lacke of knowledge in the greeke they tooke for x, p, and s, and so likewise Xpofer. '''''1598''''' [[Samuel Rowlands|Rowlands]] ''Betraying of Christ'' Hunter, Cl. 25 "Xpian the outward, the inward not at all"; '''''1634''''' ''Documents against [[William Prynne|Prynne]]'', [[Camden Society|Camden]], 33 "Such right...as your Xtianity, place, and function joyntly require." '''''1697''''' [[John Aubrey|Aubrey]] ''[[Brief Lives|Lives]]'' [[John Milton|Milton]] ([[Manuscript|MS]] Aubrey 8, [[Folio|lf.]] 63) "He was so faire, that they called him the lady of [[Christ's College, Cambridge|Xts college]]."<ref name="oed-x">{{Cite OED|X}}</ref>}} According to ''Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage'', most of the evidence for these words comes from "educated Englishmen who knew their Greek".<ref name=mwdeu>[https://books.google.com/books?id=2yJusP0vrdgC&pg=PA968&dq=Xmas+usage&ei=zVZWSa6FJY6syASeyKHRAw "Xmas" article], ''Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage'', Merriam-Webster, 1994, p 968, {{ISBN|978-0-87779-132-4}}, retrieved via Google Books, December 27, 2008</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=O'Conner|first1=Patricia T.|title=Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language|last2=Kellerman|first2=Stewart|publisher=Random House|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4000-6660-5|location=New York|page=77}}</ref>

The December 1957 ''News and Views'' published by the [[Church League of America]], a conservative organization founded in 1937,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/guides/conservative.html |title= Subject Guide to Conservative and Libertarian Materials, in Manuscript Collections |publisher= University of Oregon |access-date= June 23, 2021 |archive-date= June 23, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120623054327/http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/guides/conservative.html |url-status= dead }}</ref> attacked the use of "Xmas" in an article titled "X=The Unknown Quantity". [[Gerald L. K. Smith]] picked up the statements later, in December 1966, saying that Xmas was a "blasphemous omission of the name of Christ" and that "'X' is referred to as being symbolical of the unknown quantity."<ref>{{cite book |author-link= Morris Kominsky |last= Kominsky |first= Morris |year= 1970 |title= The Hoaxers: Plain Liars, Fancy Liars and Damned Liars |pages= 137–138 |publisher= Branden Press |isbn= 0-8283-1288-5}}</ref> More recently, American evangelist [[Franklin Graham]] and former [[CNN]] contributor [[Roland S. Martin]] publicly raised concerns. Graham stated in an interview that the use of "Xmas" is taking "Christ out of Christmas" and called it a "war against the name of Jesus Christ."<ref>[https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ltm/date/2005-12-16/segment/02 American Morning: A Conversation With Reverend Franklin Graham], CNN (December 16, 2005). Retrieved on December 29, 2009.</ref> Roland Martin relates the use of "Xmas" to his growing concerns of increasing commercialization and secularization of what he says is one of Christianity's highest holy days.<ref>Martin, Roland (December 20, 2007). [http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/20/roland.martin/index.html Commentary: You can't take Christ out of Christmas], CNN. Retrieved on December 29, 2009.</ref>