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 17, 2016

Saint Anthony the Great Resource Page

St. Anthony the Great (Feast Day - January 17)

Verses

Having the stature of heaven and intelligent beings,
You are the leader of ascetics Anthony.
On the seventeenth Anthony thereupon was lifted up.
 
 
 
 
The 38 Beneficial Sayings of Saint Anthony the Great 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Constructing an ascetic gymnastic school on earth, 
Venerable Anthony, you blunted all the assaults 
of the passions with the stream of your tears. 
Your godly way of life was acknowledged for all 
as a ladder leading up to heaven; 
for by it you displayed the fruits of true piety
and through them you heal the diseases of the passions 
of those who cry to you with faith: 
Rejoice, radiant golden star of the East, 
torchbearer and shepherd of Monastics! 
Rejoice, fairest offspring of the desert, 
and unshakable bulwark of the Church! 
Rejoice, great guide of those who have gone astray! 
Rejoice, our boast, and bright glory of the inhabited world! 
(Great Vespers, Sticheron, Tone 2, by St. Theodore the Studite)


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