ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: Pictures of the Glorification of Two Serbian Saints

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.

May 3, 2010

Pictures of the Glorification of Two Serbian Saints

In a moving a joyous celebration, on 2 May 2010, a multi-hiearchical Divine Liturgy took place in the Cathedral of St. Savvas in Belgrade to confirm the sainthood of Fr. Justin Popovich and the abbot Fr. Simeon Popovich.

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Patriarch Irenaios of Serbia surrounded by twenty-two hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Amphilochios of Montenegro said in his homily: "The decision of the Hierarchy has as its aim the spiritual prosperity of the Serbian people."

The Metropolitan further said: "Fr. Justin and Fr. Simeon always had Christ as an example for their lives, Who glorified them by their life and works. Their names are written in the book of life."

Our Venerable Father Justin Popovich of Chelije (1894-1979) will be commemorated on June 1, and the commemoration of our Venerable Father Simeon Popovich, abbot of the Dajbabe Monastery near Podgorica (1854-1941), will be celebrated on March 19.

Source Source More pictures can be seen here.