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.



April 30, 2011

Boy Dies In Athens From Pascha Fireworks


Seven-year-old suffered serious head injuries.

April 29, 2011
Kathimerini

The seven-year-old boy who was seriously injured by a flare on Easter Saturday has died in an Athens hospital, doctors said.

The boy, who was not named, suffered serious head injuries when the flare exploded in the courtyard* of the Agios Georgios church in Drosia, near Halkida on Evia.

He was being treated at Agia Sofia Hospital, where he died on Friday morning.

A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly firing the marine flare.

It is traditional in Greece for worshippers to set off fireworks and bangers as part of celebrations to mark the resurrection of Christ.

* The boy was named Christos and the firework was thrown by a 26 year old into the courtyard of the church, which hit the boy in the eye.
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