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 20, 2012

The Only End of the World Soundtrack You Need


For lack of any good online end of the world soundtracks, I decided to post my own. About seven years ago I compiled an end of the world soundtrack at a time when my own personal life felt like the end of my world was coming. Here is the result. I titled it "The Only End of the World Soundtrack You Need". I left a couple of songs out and added one that is not on the original. The one I added was P.J. Harvey's "Let England Shake" from 2011, mainly because I thought it fits better, as it was inspired by one of the most horrific battles in history, the Battle of Gallipoli, when the British tried to take Istanbul from the Turks. I'm just listing this for my own personal archives and for those interested, as I know many of my readers do not share in my musical tastes. It is for the rockers among my readers. For the sensitive ones, I would suggest you not click on the videos either (some show violence, war imagery, and are a bit provocative). Just keep in mind, this is all in fun as I join in the end of the world humor of December 21, 2012.

1. Love and Rockets - "Here On Earth"


2. The Clash - "Police and Thieves"


3. David Bowie - "Five Years"


4. Death In Vegas - "Soul Auctioneer"


5. Duane Eddy (edited by Trent Reznor) - "The Trembler"


6. P.J. Harvey - "Let England Shake"


7. Siouxsie and the Banshees - "Cities In Dust"


8. Black Sabbath - "War Pigs"


9. Rammstein - "Engel"


10. Marilyn Manson - "Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes"


11. Static X - "Anything But This"


12. Ministry - "Destruction"


13. Skinny Puppy - "Assimilate"


14. Sisters of Mercy - "Black Planet"


15. Cowboy Junkies - "Sweet Jane" (Natural Born Killers)


16. Marilyn Manson - "The Last Day On Earth"


17. Iron Maiden - "Children of the Damned"


18. The Doors - "The End"

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