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.



January 15, 2015

Saint Prohor of Pcinja Monastery

St. Prohor of Pcinja (Feast Day - October 19 (Serbian) and January 15)

The venerable Prohor (or Prochorus) of Pcinja (Pshina) lived in the eleventh century. He lived a life of asceticism in the wilderness of Vranje on the Pcinja River in Serbia.

The Saint lived as a recluse in a cave for 32 years, never seeing a human being in this time, eating cabbage and grass roots once a week. He suffered much from evil spirits, but overcame them by the grace of God.

One day, as the Saint was praying outside his cave, a deer came to him to hide from being hunted by Romanos Diogenes (1068–1071). When Romanos followed the deer to the cave, the Saint met him outside, and urged him to not kill the deer. Romanos fled frightened to see the deer at the feet of Prohor taking refuge. Prohor called Romanos by name and blessed him, foretelling that he would be emperor in Constantinople. In return Prohor asked Romanos to not forget him. Soon after Prohor fled deeper into the wilderness.


Romanos eventually became emperor and the Saint reposed in peace in his cave in the deep wilderness. As his body remained incorrupt in his cave, he appeared to the now Emperor Romanos to remind him to not forget him. As the prophecy given to Romanos came true, the thankful Emperor came back to express his gratitude to the ascetic but then found out that the old man could not be found. Contemplating returning to Constantinople, the Saint appeared to him in a dream and indicated the location of his body deep in the wilderness. Hence in the 11th century in the area of Saint Prohor's Cave the Emperor placed the relic of the Saint in a golden casket, and intending to move it to a more convenient place it would not move. The Saint once again appeared to the Emperor and told him to allow his relic to remain there. The Emperor built the Monastery dedicated to the Saint on that spot. This Monastery is the second largest Serbian Orthodox Monastery complex after Hilandari in Mount Athos. The relics of Saint Prohor are located in his Monastery and since his death it has been the source of many miracles.

According to the Serbian Chronicles, the pious King Miliutin (1276-1320) built a church in honor of Saint Prochorus.

Pcinja Monastery


The Cave of St. Prohor


 

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