I began Mike Erre's "Jesus of Suburbia" last night. The title caught my eye at B&N and I read the first chapter, enjoyed it, so I bought it. At the beginning, he makes an interesting historical note regarding Luke's version of the birth of Christ, specifically the mention of Caesar Augustus, that I had not previously understood:

...Soon after this, Octavian receivefd the honorific title Augustus...he came to be known as "Savior" of the empire, bringing "peace" and "salvation." He was called "Lord" and came to be worshiped as a god on earth...His birth was called "good news" and was celebrated by a twelve-day holiday called "advent." Among his titles were: "Cosmic Savior," "Atonement for Rome's Past Sins," and "Inaugurator of the Golden Age of Peace and Security"...The propaganda spilling forth from Rome announced the "good news" of Augustus's birth and that the blessing of Caesar's kingdom was peace...

Remember, this is Caesar August they are referring to. He goes on to connect this to Luke's version of the birth of Christ:

Luke's mention of Caesar Augustus isn't incidental or minor. It sets the whole backdrop for the Christmas story...Luke wants us to know that there is a bigger stage than we realize for the birth of Jesus Christ. In one corner of this massive empire, Luke recorded for us the birth of a new king, ushering in a new and revolutionary kind of kingdom. The world lived under the rule of Caesar Augustus, yet Luke wanted us to know that hundreds of miles away, something so significant was happening that it would shake every empire and affect every life from that day to today...

He goes on to cite the account from Luke 2:8-11, 13-14.

...It was said that Caesar was Savior, Lord, and bringer of peace. His birthday was good news, and his empire was salvation. And here, in a corner of the most powerful kingdom the world has ever seen, shepherds (not priests, not rulers, not the elite) were the first to hear the good news that will be for all people...A different Savior, Lord, and King will usher in a real peace and lasting salvation...It is almost as if all of the titles applied to Caesar were applied to Jesus in order to force people to choose between them. If Jesus has been called one thing and Caesar another, people would have been tempted to believe they could worship both. But when Savior, Lord, King, gospel, peace, and salvation are specific descriptions applied to both rulers, the Christmas story forces us to chose: Who is our lord? Who is our Savior?

I had never heard this angle before, if he is correct in his historical criticism and conclusions, I really appreciate this, it's a story that needs to be told.