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 3, 2013

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Not A Freemason


Announcement by the Holy and Sacred Synod

On account of the related press releases, the Ecumenical Patriarchate hereby assertively denounces that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has any relation whatsoever with freemasonry.

At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the 28th of November, 2013

From the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod


For many years Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has been accused of being a Freemason, usually by anti-ecumenists who claim that his ecumenical agenda is based on Masonic beliefs, but a few days ago the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to make an official announcement stating that the Ecumenical Patriarch is not a Mason. The decision to do so is "on account of related press releases". The two most recent press releases making this accusation come first from the Golden Dawn party in Greece, and second from the Patriarch's recent blessing of the AEK soccer stadium in Athens. Certain members of the Golden Dawn accuse any Greek hierarchs that speak against their party of being Masons, despite the fact that an investigation has determined that no hierarch in Greece is a Freemason. They do this to link them with Zionist conspiracies. The new AEK soccer stadium, which will soon be built and named Agia Sofia after the Cathedral in Constantinople and house a chapel dedicated to Hosios Loukas, recently received a 50,000 euro donation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The reason for this donation is the historical link between AEK and Constantinople, and the mutual assistance between both.

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