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.



January 2, 2016

Synaxarion of the Holy Hieromartyr Theagenes, Bishop of Parium


St. Theagenes of Parium (Feast Day - January 2)

Verses

You were cast into the sea Theagenes;
Although you drowned therein, you swam out to the heavens.

Theagenes (or Theogenes)* was bishop of the city called Parium,* which had been built by people from Paros. It was located between Kyzikos and Lampsakos on the Hellespont. Theagenes was accused to the tribune Zelikinthios, before whom he confessed Christ as the true God. For this reason he was beaten with clubs and bound, then cast into the depths of the sea. In this way he completed the course of martyrdom and received from the Lord an incorruptible crown.*

Notes:

* In the original Synaxarion of Constantinople, St. Theagenes is listed under his original feast day of January 3rd, but this was changed to January 2nd in St. Nikodemos' edit of the Synaxarion, which is translated above. Furthermore, in the Menologion of Basil II, he is listed under January 4th.

 ** In the original sources of the Passion of this Saint, he is called the son of a bishop and not a bishop himself. Instead, he is described as a soldier who gave up his military duties due to his Christian beliefs. However, in the Menologion of Basil II he is described as a bishop who was forced to enter the army and refused.

St. Theagenes in between St. Stathys on the left and St. Nicholas on the right.

The drowning of St. Theagenes in between St. Sylvester of Rome on the left and the Prophet Malachi on the right.



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