ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos on Nikos Kazantzakis

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 15, 2010

Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos on Nikos Kazantzakis

The final resting place of Nikos Kazantzakis (1883 - 1957)

Question: Some say that Kazantzakis was religious. That he had spiritual concerns and inquiries...

Answer: And what of of that? What resulted? Do you know what he himself wanted written on his grave? "I have ceased to hope, I have ceased to fear, I am free!" And of course, it was written. Go to the cemeteries and read what is written on the graves of faithful people: "I await the resurrection of the dead" or "The dead are raised and have arisen from the tombs" or "Christ has arisen from the dead, first among those who sleep", and other such things.

Do you know what the last words of Kazantzakis were? "I'm thirsty". Fr. Theoklitos Dionysiatis has written very brilliantly in one of his writings: "Perhaps before his soul departed he tasted of the torturous flames of the furnace of fire like the rich man, and he wanted someone to refresh his tongue."

Read also:

The Ascetic Makarios and Nikos Kazantzakis

Nikos Kazantzakis : The Last Temptation Of Christ : Always Thirsty

Kazantzakis: Prophet of Non-Hope