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.



October 18, 2014

Where the Apostle Luke Wrote His Gospel and Celebrated the Divine Liturgy


According to Byzantine historians and the imperial chryssobull issued to the Monastery of the Great Cave (Mega Spelaion) in Kalavryta of the Peloponnese in Greece, the Apostle Luke wrote his Gospel in this cave fifteen years after the Ascension of Christ. The Theophilus to whom the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles is addressed is believed by many to have been the governor of this region of Achaia. Here also the Apostle Luke celebrated the Divine Liturgy on an altar of stone and left behind an image of the Virgin Mary which he made of wax, mastic and other substances.

This Holy Icon was discovered here by divine revelation in the fourth century by a young shepherdess named Euphrosyne from Galata and a Monastery was established by two brothers from Thessaloniki named Symeon and Theodore. The Monastery was destroyed by fire four times: in 840, in 1400, in 1640 and in 1934 - the Holy Icon always being saved.

The Monastery today, which is an awe-inspiring eight-story structure, is vibrant and contains many sacred relics, among which is the miraculous Holy Icon of Panagia Speliotissa which was formed by the Holy Apostle Luke the Evangelist. The Holy Apostle, together with the Sacred Monastery and the Holy Icon, are celebrated together annually on October 18th.



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