ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: A Monk Who Lived in Mount Athos From the Age of Twelve Has Reposed

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 9, 2015

A Monk Who Lived in Mount Athos From the Age of Twelve Has Reposed

On Friday the 30th of January 2015 the Danielite Monk Stephanos (1943-2015) reposed in the Lord. He had lived in the Holy Mountain of Athos since the age of twelve, which is when he became a novice.

Archimandrite Chrysostomos Moustakas wrote in his book The Holy Mountain of Athos (Το Άγιον Όρος Άθω, «Αστήρ», Αθήνα 1957) the following about Monk Stephanos in 1954:

"At the hesychasterion of the Danielites there are 12 brothers who live as monks, living amongst each other with complete obedience, simplicity and love, performing with devotion the sacred Services and receiving during the sacred priestly act of the Immaculate Mysteries, the Life-giving Body and Blood of the Savior Christ Himself, with fear of God, faith and love, for the remission of sins and eternal life. Among these brothers is also a child of 12 years old, and the form of this child is like the icon of the RECLINING Christ."