ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: Historic Monastery of Saint George In Cairo Begins Restoration

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 2, 2011

Historic Monastery of Saint George In Cairo Begins Restoration

Marianna Kourti

March 31, 2011

The historic Monastery of Saint George in the old city of Cairo ̶ also known as “Rotonda” of the East ̶ has already begun renovations. Yesterday afternoon, the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, his Beatitude Theodoros II, officially received from the Patriarchate the study concerning the renovation of the Africa Christian monument by Mr. George Penelis and by Civil Engineer Mr. Gregory Penelis. During the delivery of the study, Metropolitan Alexios of Carthage, Bishop of Nitria Nikodemos, Bishop Niphon of Babylonos and Greek Ambassador in Egypt Mr. Christodoulos Lazaris were present. Referring to the project of monastery’s renovation, the Patriarch of Alexandria underlined the importance of the monument and mentioned that it was the shelter of the Holy Family in Egypt, which protected them from King Herod. It was also the place where St. George was jailed, while its architecture history started hundreds of years B.C.

Read more on the Monastery here.