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.



June 8, 2010

Abbot Prodromos of Great Lavra Visits Zoga In Argolis


The village of Zoga lies fourteen kilometers away from Argos in Greece. Abbot Prodromos of the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra on Mount Athos visited here 6 June 2010 to celebrate the first all-night vigil at the newly-consecrated Church of the Hagiorite Fathers. The church was founded on 26 September 2008 and the Door-Opening Ceremony was celebrated this past April. The Abbot came by invitation of of Hieromonk Ignatios Gregoriates, the founder of the church and a spiritual child of Abbot Prodromos.

Great Lavra Monastery is considered the mother of all the coenobitic monasteries on Mount Athos. It was founded in 963 by St. Athanasios the Athonite. It reached its golden age in the 14th century when many saints served in the monastery, among whom was St. Gregory Palamas. It has produced 27 patriarchs, 150 bishops, 168 abbots, 3400 hieromonks, and 14000 monks. Over 60 saints of the Church lived their monastic life at this monastery. It has 3 Sketes, 60 Cells, 60 Hesychastiria, 6 Kathismata and many hermitages. Today 50 monks are in the monastery and 350 in its surrounding properties.



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