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.



August 22, 2010

Mariza Koch's "Panagia Mou, Panagia Mou"


Mariza Koch is a popular Greek folk singer and was born in Athens on March 14, 1944 to a Greek mother and a German father. Her father was executed by the Nazi occupation forces the very year of her birth and Mariza and her sister Eirini grew up in her mother's native Santorini. At age 19 she returned to Athens to take music lessons. She first recorded an album - "Arabas" - in 1971 and soon established herself as a premier folk singer.

On 13 April 1976 she took part in the Eurovision Song contest, held in The Hague, Netherlands, with the song "Panagia mou, Panagia mou". This was the second entry for Greece in Eurovision, the first being in 1974. Greece did not take part in Eurovision in 1975 due to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and Eurovision allowing Turkey to participate. "Panagia mou, Panagia mou" was written in protest of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus and is an outcry against Turkish foreign policy.

Composed by Koch herself with lyrics by Michael Fotiades, Michalis Rozakis conducted the orchestra. At the close of voting, the performance had received 20 points, placing it 13th in a field of 18.

Koch was 31 years old for this performance and applied her background in Byzantine and folk music with the contemporary popular music of the 1970's to offer Europe one of Greece's best performances. It is a song to the Virgin Mary to look upon devasted Cyprus and console her people.

Lyrics in Greek

Κάμπος γεμάτος πορτοκάλια, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Που πέρα ως πέρα απλώνετ' η ελιά
Γύρω χρυσίζουν τ' ακρογιάλια, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Και σε θαμπώνει, θαμπώνει η αντηλιά

Στον τόπο αυτό όταν θα πάτε, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Σκηνές αν δείτε, αν δείτε στη σειρά
Δε θα 'ναι κάμπινγκ για τουρίστες, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Θα 'ναι μονάχα, μονάχα προσφυγιά

Παναγιά μου, Παναγιά μου, παρηγόρα την καρδιά μου!
Παναγιά μου, Παναγιά μου, παρηγόρα την καρδιά μου!

Κι αν δείτε ερείπια γκρεμισμένα, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Δεν θα 'ναι απ' άλλες, απ' άλλες εποχές
Από ναπάλμ θα 'ναι καμένα, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Θα 'ναι τα μύρια χαλάσματα του χτες

Κι αν δείτε γη φρεσκοσκαμμένη, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Δεν θα 'ναι κάμπος, 'ναι κάμπος καρπερός
Σταυροί θα είναι φυτεμένοι, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Που τους σαπίζει, σαπίζει ο καιρός

Παναγιά μου, Παναγιά μου, παρηγόρα την καρδιά μου!
Παναγιά μου, Παναγιά μου, παρηγόρα την καρδιά μου!



Lyrics in English

Fields full of oranges, oh oh my Mother!
Where olive trees spread from end to end
Around them, the seashores shine like gold, oh oh my Mother!
And you're blinded, blinded by the intense light

When you go to this place, oh oh my Mother!
And you see, you see tents in a row
It's not a camping place for tourists, oh oh my Mother!
They're only, only refugees

Panagia mou, Panagia mou soothe my heart
Panagia mou, Panagia mou soothe my heart

And if you see shattered ruins, oh oh my Mother!
It's not from other, from other eras
It is burnt by napalm, oh oh my Mother!
Since yesterday, there are countless crumbled rocks

And if you see newly dug land, oh oh my Mother!
They're not fertile fields, fields
There will be crosses planted on them, oh oh my Mother!
Which will decompose, decompose through time

Panagia mou, Panagia mou soothe my heart
Panagia mou, Panagia mou soothe my heart

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