Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



November 30, 2010

The Skete of Saint Andrew in Karyes, Mount Athos


The Skete of Saint Andrew in Karyes of Mount Athos is also know as Serai and stands where the old Monastery of Xistrou once stood. Previously known as the Cell of Saint Anthony, it was built by Russian monastics in 1842 at the sponsorship of the Russian Tsar. In 1849 the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized it as the Skete of Saint Andrew. Patriarch Joachim III of Constantinople consecrated the church in 1900 and it is one of the largest churches in the Balkans and the largest on Mount Athos. It is a dependancy of Vatopaidi Monastery and housed 800 monastics before World War 1; today there are about 20 monks. The Skete houses a portion of the skull of Saint Andrew. The Athonias Academy is in this Skete.

See photos here.







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