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.



October 25, 2010

The Parthenon and the Theotokos


Few people realize that the Parthenon existed as a Christian Church for most of its existence, between approximately the 5th - 15th century AD. It was dedicated at first to Hagia Sophia, or the Holy Wisdom of God, but soon after was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and bore the name Panagia Atheniotissa. It was also one of the most popular Christian pilgrimage sites during this time. The Christians found no need to destroy it, as many unbelievers would assume and have falsely read into Christian history, but they transformed it to the glory of God. And not only was the Parthenon a Christian Church, but the Propylaea housed the bishop of Athens.

Following the Fourth Crusade in 1204 the Franks took the Parthenon over and built a bell tower next to it, dedicating it to Notre Dame. In 1458 the Parthenon was turned into a mosque for a few hundred years before it was destroyed and came to ruins.

Read more on this history of the Acropolis here and here.
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