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.



February 8, 2015

A Priest in Thessaloniki Whose Six out of Eight Children are Monastics


Fr. Evangelos Karakasis, an agronomist and beekeeper, during the Divine Liturgy on Sunday celebrated in Docheiariou Monastery on Mount Athos, attended the tonsure of the monk Onouphrios, one of his eight children. Now six of his eight children have become monastics.

Three of his sons were leading a monastic life in Docheiariou, and his two daughters are leading a monastic life in the Monastery of Theoskepastos, a dependency of Docheiariou Monastery in Soho, Thessaloniki. All are graduates of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

A quick search on the internet revealed that Fr. Evangelos Karakasis is not just the priest of the Church of Saint Paul in Methoni. He is also an agronomist, beekeeper and researcher, a graduate of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a degree from the same University in the genetic improvement of bees.

And he is not alone.

At his side stands from his student years his Presvytera, Aristea Malakasis-Karakasis, also an agronomist by profession.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

Labels: ,

BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER


Patreon!