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.



March 24, 2014

Why Did Christ Suffer Crucifixion?


By His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Koroneia

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are — yet He did not sin" (Heb. 4:15).

The High Priest of the Old Testament entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem once a year to offer a sacrifice of atonement. Christ is the Great High Priest, who "entered without seed and exited without corruption" (Elias Meniatis) from the womb of the Panagia and offered the sacrifice of Himself on the Cross. Not to satisfy Divine Justice. God the Father is not a strict and uncompromising judge, Who seeks to punish sinful man and punishes him in the person of His incarnate Son, but He is an affectionate Father. And the God-man Lord as man hungered and thirsted and hurt and was crucified. Why? The Apostle Peter answers this for the faithful: "Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps" (1 Pet. 2:21). To "follow in His steps" means, among other things, to not be indignant against God in the difficulties of life and to not despair because Christ is by my side. "Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted" (Heb. 2:18). He has guaranteed for this the eternal symbol of His love - the Cross - that unites us with God. Therefore, by experiencing and overcoming our personal Cross we walk through Christ towards the Father. "We hold to the Cross as our sail and so we can set upon the journey without fear" (St. Synklitiki).

Source: Excerpt from a sermon preached on March 23, 2014. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

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