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 30, 2010

Russian Commission for Counteracting and Overcoming Ecclesiastical Schisms


SESSION OF THE INTER-CONCILIAR PRESENCE COMMISSION FOR COUNTERACTING AND OVERCOMING ECCLESIASTICAL SCHISMS OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH HELD IN KYIV CAVE MONASTERY

25 March 2010
Risu

KYIV — On March 25, 2010, at the Kyiv Cave Monastery the first session of the Inter-Conciliar Presence Commission for Counteracting and Overcoming Ecclesiastical Schisms of the Russian Orthodox Church was conducted. The commission was chaired by the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), Metropolitan Volodymyr, reports the web site of the UOC-MP.

List of issues discussed included:

- theological and canonical analysis of modern schisms;

- elaboration of the practical recommendations on prevention and healing of schisms;

- acceptance to the church of the clergymen and laity coming from schisms;

- the issue of the church remembrance of people remaining in schism;

- oikonomia and akriveia in recognition of the Sacraments performed in schismatic communities.

Metropolitan Volodymyr noted that the first session of the committee is being held in Kyiv not only as “an expression of respect for the ancient capital of the Kyivan Rus’…It is also a response to the urgent need of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. For the problem of church schisms is especially urgent in Ukraine,” he noted.

As the result of the session work, the following priority subjects for further work of the committee were defined:

- systematization of existing schisms;

- study of existing precedents of overcoming church divides;

- overcoming the schism in Ukraine;

- dialogue with Old Believers;

- prevention of schisms.

Metropolitan Volodymyr noted that the call to seek unity, “a clear pastoral imperative,” is coming first of all from the head of the ROC, Patriarch Kirill, who during his visit to Ukraine in 2009 called to do everything for the “Church of Christ in Ukraine…to have again the strength and possibility to embrace in its motherly arms all of the faithful children.”

The hierarch also noted that the UOC-MP proposes numerous initiatives to overcome the schisms.

The head of the Department of External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, the deputy head of the committee Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk, noted that today in Ukraine a favorable situation is emerging for overcoming the schism. He said that the political reasons causing the spread of the schism are becoming the past.

The committee decided that the results of its work can be commented on only by the head and the deputy head of the committee or persons authorized by them.
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