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.



May 9, 2011

Patriarch Bartholomew On Contemporary Holy Elders


His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in a speech at the opening ceremony of the Church of St. Nicholas in Havana, Cuba (25 January 2004), stressed that the Orthodox Church has always highlighted their Saints. Having said several names who were declared saints recently, he went on to say:

"There are even those who through the unanimity of the Church are recognized as saints, even though the work of official recognition of their holiness has not yet been issued, such as Elders Paisios, Porphyrios and Ephraim, the compatriot of St. Nicholas the elder Iakovos of Evia, Philotheos Zervakos and so on. Around such personalities as these thousands of souls found peace, sweetness, joy and life. The elements of nature obeyed them. The animals reverenced them. Everyone and everything felt the love and the grace of the Holy Spirit residing in them. To gaze at them was to gaze at Christ. Their hands were hands of philanthropy. Their hearts were full of sacrificial love. Their nous was peaceful. Their phronema was holy. Their daily life was 'love, joy, peace, longsuffering, uprightness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance'. Many have much benefited from these genuine people of God. They are our greatest benefactors. Their prayers dispelled the wills of Nations, brought the mercy and the help of God to the world, expelled unclean spirits, restored to health the sick, and solved insolvable problems of humanity."

Translated by John Sanidopoulos
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