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.



December 24, 2010

Metr. Ignatios: "Racism and Anti-Semitism Does Not Reflect the Faith of the Church"


December 24, 2010
Romfea.gr

"Racism and Anti-Semitism, from wherever and from whomsoever derived, can not express the faith and the consciousness of the Church. Especially in these days, Orthodox Christians do not forget that our Lord Jesus Christ was born a Jew, and nobody is entitled to insult the memory of 6,000,000 innocent victims of the Holocaust. From the manger of the God-man in Bethlehem where He was humbly born has dawned hope and light, not fear and connotations against anybody," said the Metropolitan of Dimitriados Mr. Ignatios in a statement in connection with the statements of Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus on Israel.

He also said that "The timeless conscience of the Church is expressed by the example of major prelates, including Archbishop Damaskinos, Chrysostomos of Zakynthos and our late predecessor Joachim, who each in their own way, and motivated by genuine Christian feeling, helped save thousands of Greek Jews. This is the tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church; follow this."

Translated by John Sanidopoulos
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