ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: St. Haralambos and the Earthquake That Struck Pyrgos, Elis in 1996

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.

February 10, 2016

St. Haralambos and the Earthquake That Struck Pyrgos, Elis in 1996

By Angeliki Gialypsos

I don't know if the last miracle of Saint Haralambos in Pyrgos, Elis has become known, which took place during the powerful earthquake of 1996.

At the time of the earthquake, noontime, children were playing in the courtyard of the Church of Saint Haralambos. One of the children saw a priest with a long beard making two movements with his hands, as if cutting something in the air.

When the parish priest came, he told him what he saw. Then the parish priest, wanting to confirm this, said to the child: "Come here and show me who it was, if you recognize anyone," and he showed the child the icons.

Immediately the child pointed to Saint Haralambos, recognizing him to be the priest he had seen. This event was verified scientifically, in that seismologists argued that the earthquake had been cut in half, that is, it took place in two intervals. If this had not taken place, we would have mourned victims. Great is His Grace, wondrous is God in His saints!

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.