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.



August 24, 2009

Greek Fires Continue to Rage, Monasteries Are Threatened



Though reports are suggesting that the winds are dying down and the fires in Athens are slowing down, they are still raging uncontrollably and monasteries are narrowly escaping total destruction. Yesterday it was reported that the famous Monastery of Penteli just escaped the flames when Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens arrived to oversee the prevention of its destruction. The video above shows nuns battling flames that are threatening the 10th century Pantokratoros Monastery outside of Athens, but this seems to have escaped further destruction as well. More can be read here about the fires at Pantokratoros. Today it is reported that one of Greece's most famous and sacred shrines, the Monastery of Saint Ephraim of Nea Makri, is also threatened. The nuns have been evacuated and they brought the relics with them, though this monastery also holds the tree upon which the Saint was martyred which obviously could not be moved. More about St. Ephraim's Monastery could be read here.

Let us keep Greece and its people in our prayers!

Nuns battling the fire at Pantokratoros Monastery outside Athens
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