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.



November 20, 2010

Grave of St. Maximus the Confessor Discovered in Tsageri, Georgia


The name of Maximus the Confessor is closely linked with Georgia: after the Church Father was exiled from Byzantium in 662 with two of his disciples, he spent his last days in Lazica, Western Georgia, and was cast in the fortress of Schemarum, perhaps Muris-Tsikhe near the modern town of Tsageri. He died there on 13 August 662. It is interesting that the monastery where his grave was discovered is named after Saint Maximus.

October 26, 2010
Rustavi 2

French anthropologists have confirmed that the grave of Saint Maximus the Confessor is in Tsageri, Svaneti Region, Georgia. A special conference dedicated to the discovery was held in the Youth Centre of the Saint Trinity Cathedral yesterday. The participants have discussing the details of the discovery and history of Saint Maximus. They said the only holy part of Saint Maximus` body has been so far held in Israel.

French scientists presume that after popularizing the discovery, the Tsageri monastery will become a place of pilgrimage for many worshippers due to the grave of the Saint Maximus.

For the video news report, see here.

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