If no death on the Cross, no Resurrection, and no Ascension, there can be no divinization (i.e., the patristic teaching that she quoted with the feminazi language changes)! That is also the real reason why Christ is the ONLY path to God!!
Lightman, do you have any examples of how Hanson is keeping "death and resurrection out of Christmas"?
Unfortunately, yes:
http://www.elca.org/news/Releases.asp?a=3492
"The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory..." (John 1:14).
We live in a visited world. On that holy night twenty centuries ago, God visited the world in the miracle of Bethlehem. Held in Mary’s arms that night was the revelation of steadfast, unbounded love for all humanity. The birth of Jesus disclosed God’s saving will and eternal desire for reconciliation and peace.
In this season of Christmas, we encounter again Jesus, sent from God for our salvation. As the Word is proclaimed in both simple buildings and cathedrals of grandeur, we receive the good news of God’s love in Christ Jesus for the whole earth. We witness the mystery of rebirth in the waters of Baptism and rejoice as new ones are embraced by the community of faith. As bread is broken and wine poured in the Eucharist, we give thanks for the real presence of Christ in our midst.
We gather with the whole Church for the celebration of our Lord’s Nativity.
Nice, gushy, touch-feely...but a classic example of Neibuhrs' critique of liberal Protestantism for teaching "a God without wrath who brings humans without sin into a kingdom without judgment through a Christ without a cross."