ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: Saint Antonina the Martyr of Nicaea

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.

March 1, 2016

Saint Antonina the Martyr of Nicaea

St. Antonina of Nicaea (Feast Day - March 1 and June 12)

Verses

The sea has become a nuptial chamber,

Covering Antonina the bride of the Lord.

The Holy Martyr Antonina was from the city of Nicaea, which in Turkish is called Iznik, who during the reign of Emperor Maximian (286-305) stood before this emperor and confessed Christ, for which she became subject to various torments and imprisoned.

Then she was taken out of prison, and after refusing to sacrifice to idols she was made to be hung up and torn at her sides. While suffering such things, the blessed one derided the deities of the Greek pagans and the erring ways of the emperor. For this she was delivered to her torturers, who were told to unclothe her and harshly beat her. When the torturers approached her to unclothe her, straightway Angels descended from Heaven and hit the torturers harshly, pushing them back, thus keeping the Saint from harm.

After these things she was placed on a lit grill. Because she came out of this unharmed by the grace of Christ, she was placed in a sack and thrown into the lake of Nicaea, and so the glorious one received the crown of martyrdom.