Sunday's history examined

SUNDAY: A HISTORY OF THE FIRST DAY FROM BABYLONIA TO THE SUPER BOWL, by Craig Harline, Doubleday, 450 pages, $26

It may seem appropriate to some Utahns that a history of "Sunday" is written by a Brigham Young University history professor — but it is even more noteworthy that it is published under a prestigious national imprint.

Craig Harline, a prolific and careful scholar, has examined the "rich mix" of interpretations that contribute to the categorization of Sunday as historically unique.

Using facts and anecdotes, Harline traces the day's ancient beginnings to recent America. From the commemoration of the Resurrection to liturgy and rituals to the purely secular interpretation as a day of recreation, he demonstrates that Sunday has gone through many stages.

Harline focuses on Western Europe and the United States to tell his story, beginning with "the emergence of Sunday in the ancient Mediterranean." This was not always productive because of a scarcity of sources.

The author goes from there to the nature of Sunday observance in medieval and Catholic Europe. He suggests that the Sunday of late 19th century France may be the most famous model of the day.

During World War I, Sunday seemed "obscured" when wartime made it seem to go away. The English Sunday outlined changes in observance of the sabbath adopted after the Great War. Finally, the 1950s brought "Sunday All Mixed Up," showing the combination of various European trends, as well as distinctly American habits — a change that made sports acceptable.

"Sun Day" emerged in the ancient Middle East as part of a seven-day planetary week. But the Jews had a seven-day week of their own, and no one is sure which is older. But the Jews were known for singling out one day, the seventh, for special attention.

It's virtually impossible to determine when, where and why the

"Lord's Day" emerged among Roman Christians. Key documents located by Harline are few, including a handful of New Testament references — Acts 20:7, I Corinthians 16:2 and Revelation 1:10.

It appears that the apostles established the Lord's Day as a weekly commemoration of Jesus Christ's resurrection on the first day. That made it a uniquely Christian day — with no connection to the pagan Sun Day or the Jewish Sabbath of the fourth commandment.

There were also a number of interpretations as to what was a desirable activity. There were so many restrictions initially, that many people grew up to "dread" Sunday.