ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: The Good Teacher According to St. John Chrysostom

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.

September 17, 2013

The Good Teacher According to St. John Chrysostom

By Demetri Karavasilis

According to Chrysostom, the good teacher inspires, attracts and persuades (MG. 57:327). They are not selfish or arrogant, nor distinguished for their authoritarian style. They have the spirit of apprenticeship, not egotism. Being humble, they are aware of their imperfections and weaknesses. They understand well that "leniency is stronger than violence" (MG. 57:61).

The educator must demonstrate a democratic spirit and respect the opinion of students (MG. 60:35-36).

They must stand before their students as simple, honest, guileless and candid. Irony and hypocrisy should be avoided (MG. 61:404-406). Teachers should not be intrusive or pushy but affectionate (MG. 62:402-403). They should surpass the affection of their student's natural fathers.

"The words" (of a teacher), says Chrysostom, must be "words of a person who educates rather than rebukes, who instructs rather than chastises, who brings order rather than exposes, who amends rather than tramples on the life of another (a student)" (MG. 61:593-594).

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.