A senior theologian with Charles Sturt University (CSU) believes that Easter for Christians is “the high point of God’s love story with us”. 

 

“In the Easter events, God gives God’s very self to us,” said Reverend Professor James Haire, director of Australian Centre for Christianity & Culture, based in Canberra. 

 

According to Reverend Professor Haire, in the early centuries of the Christian era, Christianity took over an old festival of fertility and new life and made it ‘a festival of God’s love’ because the events of the Christian Easter occurred at that time. 

 

Today, two festivals are being held at the same time – one the Christian festival of Easter, and the other a pre-Christian festival of fertility and new life.

 

“For Christians, Easter is the symbol of hope.  It is also the symbol of forgiveness; God’s loving forgiveness of us,” Reverend Professor Haire said.