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 19, 2016

The Chapel of Saints Theodoroi in Nafplio, Built by Theodoros Kolokotronis


Between the years 1825 to 1832 Theodoros Kolokotronis, the General and hero of the Greek War of Indpendence who was known as the Elder of the Morea, together with his relatives built a chapel to his patrons Saints Theodoroi (Theodore the General and Theodore the Tiro), on property known as Kiul Tepe that was given to him after the liberation of the city from the Turks.

The brothers George, Gregory, Demetrios and Constantine Retalis purchased the estate in 1898, which included the Chapel of Saints Theodoroi. This chapel then was passed down through the family, and today it is maintained in a good state by Penelope Retalis and her husband Christos Arvanitis.

The historian Michael Lambrinidis says that Kolokotronis resided here on this estate and attended church services in the Chapel of Saints Theodoroi. And it was here on the 6th of July in 1833 that the Bavarian police arrested him and brought him to the notorious prison in the fortress of Palamidi.







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