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.



December 8, 2015

Saint Sophronios, Archbishop of Cyprus

St. Sophronios of Cyprus (Feast Day - December 8)

Verses

All passions of the flesh you erased Sophronios,
And this flesh of clay you discarded.

+++

Sophronios shut his eyes below,
And opened them above in the vision of God.

Our Venerable Father Sophronios, a native of the island of Cyprus, was the son of Christian and pious parents, and lived in the sixth century. Possessing a genius disposition, he was a polymath. Night and day he read and meditated on the Holy Scriptures and the words of the Lord for many years and, having applied himself to observe all the commandments of the Lord with exactness, living a pious and virtuous life, he was made worthy to receive from God great spiritual gifts and the power of working miracles.

On the death of Damianos, the most holy Archbishop of Cyprus, the virtues of Saint Sophronios led the Christians to choose him as their new shepherd. From that moment he became the nourisher of the hungry, the provider of the poor, the helper of orphans, the protector of widows, the deliverer of all who were afflicted and the coverer of the naked. Adorned with this crown of virtues, this renowned and God-pleasing man reposed in peace.

Labels: ,

BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER


Patreon!