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.



July 30, 2012

The Cave Church of Hagia Sophia in Kythira


Pictured above are some frescoes from the 13th century Cave Church of Hagia Sophia, inside a cave under the same name, close to Mylopotamos village, on Kythira island. The frescoes are very well preserved because of the great conditions (steady temperature and humidity) inside the cave. There is a newer tiny church of the 19th century, right behind (photo below).

Deeper inside the cave, during a tour of about 250 metres (the total lenght of the cave is more than 2.000 metres), you can see some beautiful "halls". This cave is connected with many legends. They say that this is the exact place where Paris and Helen found their first "love shelter" before leaving for Troy. In one of the halls inside a cave you will see a small lake, called "Aphrodite's bath". Inside the lake you will see hundreds of coins thrown by people who were wishing for better luck in love.


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