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.



May 31, 2015

Holy New Hieromartyr Philosophus and His Sons Boris and Nicholas (+ 1918)

St. Philosophus and His Sons (Feast Day - May 31)

The Holy Hieromartyr Archpriest Philosophus (Ornatsky) was born in the village of Erga in the province of Novgorod. His father was a priest. In 1885 Philosophus completed the theologial academy of St. Petersburg and married a woman named Helen. After being ordained a presbyter he worked pastorally in developing a huge philanthropic and missionary ministry.

He became spiritually associated with with Patriarch Tikhon and during World War I he stood by the soldiers and their families. His son Nicholas served in a higher office in the 9th Russian Battalion and his son Boris was appointed chief of the 23rd Artillery Brigade and fought heroically in the Austro-Hungarian front.


One of his brothers, Fr. John Ornatsky, married the niece of Saint John of Kronstadt and he served in St. Petersburg. Saint John of Kronstadt loved Fr. Philosophus very much and would visit him often in his home.

After the revolution of 1917, Fr. Philosophus continued with greater zeal to preach and liturgize, and would do so in dangerous places. Among the victims of the Bolsheviks was his son-in-law, Fr. Peter Skipetrov. Fr. Philosphus was an eye-witness of the martyrdom of his son-in-law.


All this violence was unable to bend this priest's heroic and martyric mindset. The editor of "Novoie Vremia", Souvorin, wrote to him: "Fr. Philosophus, you are our only hope. Everyone else around us is silent."


The Holy Hieromartyr and Archpriest Philosophus was arrested on 20 July 1918 together with his sons by the state security, and they were taken to the prisons of Kronstadt. They were executed by being shot to death, and in this way they gave the testimony of their faith in our Lord and God.

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