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.



November 30, 2015

St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle, the First to Find Christ (St. Proclus of Constantinople)


By St. Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople

When the Apostle Andrew felt deeply that he found the Christ that dominates the hearts of all, upon seeing the divine Teacher like a bright treasure, called out undeterred to his brother Peter: "We have found the Messiah." 

What great brotherly love! It also reverses the natural order of things. Andrew came to life second after Peter. He was first however, before Peter, to be called to be a wondrous fisherman for Christ and in the service of the gospel. 

"We have found the Messiah." These words are full of joy. Even more valuable is the opportunity of this discovery. Andrew found the treasure, He Whom the Prophets proclaimed years before that He would come. He Who Micah saw on a glorious throne, Isaiah on the seraphim, Daniel on the clouds.

"We have found the Messiah Who is the Christ." The one Christ, Who is God by nature, condescended and became man. He showed Andrew and all the other Apostles to be sources of miracles and containers of grace.

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