Christian constellations

There's a book on Amazon called The Christian Sky, by Mark Edward Dodson, which aims to help: "If you have ever wanted to know more about God's grandest creation but have never felt comfortable learning about ancient pagan idols, then this book will provide you with a fun fresh start."

Why live under a pagan sky? For thousands of years the human race has dwelled under a dome of stars that have been grouped and identified according to ancient superstitions. Today, the official star constellations pay homage to the pagan gods and goddesses of a dark and chaotic world, a world before Christ, and yet these are the constellations that scouting groups and school children all around the world have been encouraged to learn for hundreds of years. Now, for the first time, the sky has been mapped in accordance with easy-to-find star patterns that tell the stories of the Christian faith.

All well and good, but: for the first time? As it happens, the old gods have been painted over before. Mr. Dodson was beaten to the punch in 1661, when Andreas Cellarius published his Harmonia Macrocosmica, which offers a beautiful 17th-century Christian sky. (You can browse all the plates here.)

Lesson for Mr. Dodson: if you must dehellenize the skies—and I'm not pointing fingers; my own Quaker ancestors took the Thor out of Thursday—at least make it pretty.