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 20, 2010

Non-Canonical Ukrainian Church Ready To Enter Moscow Patriarchate


Russian Orthodox Church: Representatives Of Non-Canonical Ukrainian Churches Ready To Enter Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)

July 19, 2010
Ukrainian News

The Russian Orthodox Church says that some representatives of non-canonical Ukrainian churches are ready to enter the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

This was announced during a telebridge between Kyiv and Moscow (Russia) entitled "Visit of Patriarch of Moscow and All-Rus Kirill to Ukraine" by deputy chairman of the external ecclesiastic relations Mykola Balashov.

According to Balashov, those representatives of non-canonical churches expressed their intention to enter the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate even in private talks.

Besides, Balashov said that the issue of dissent in Ukrainian Orthodoxy may be considered at the meeting of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church during a visit of Kirill to Ukraine on July 25.

In his turn, the chairman of the synod information department of the Russian Orthodox Church Volodymyr Lehoida said that the opponents of Kirill's visit to Ukraine in 2009 changed their attitude to the Patriarch during the visit itself.

In his turn, the head of the synod department for relations between church and society of the Russian Orthodox Church Vsevolod Chaplin noted that Ukraine is spiritually close to the heart of Kirill.

At the same time, Chaplin said that in 2010 as well as in 2009, lots of believers will visit Kirill's events.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, on July 20-28 Kirill will visit Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv.
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