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.



July 20, 2009

The Plague of Locusts on the Day Turkey Invaded Cyprus


I wasn't alive at the time the Turks invaded Cyprus 35 years ago today, but my mother and two sisters were in the city of Patras, Greece on that day and my mother informed of an event that happened that I have not seen reported elsewhere. She informs me that as my two sisters were playing outside my grandmother's house in Patras, suddenly a plague of locusts came rolling in to the point where the streets were completely covered with them. My mom rushed outside to grab my sisters as did the other parents in the neighborhood, and the locusts moved through. She said that after this happened everybody believed some tragedy was coming to Greece. A few hours later the Turks invaded Cyprus.

Coincidence or not?

Maybe, but I have not seen this reported anywhere else and was curious for more information on it. If anyone has any information, please let me know.

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