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.



July 21, 2016

Rare Video Showing an Embrace Between Saint Paisios and Patriarch Bartholomew


Exactly one year after becoming Ecumenical Patriarch on 2 November 1991, Bartholomew I visited Mount Athos. On 7 November 1992 he was received by the Holy Monastery of Koutloumouseiou.

The video below captures the moment when during the Doxological reception at Koutloumouseiou, Saint Paisios the Athonite came forward to receive the blessing of His All-Holiness. And although Saint Paisios was a simple monk without clerical rank, the Patriarch, out of his reverence for the Elder, gave him the kiss of peace.

It is known that during this trip the two had a chance to converse, and both later spoke very highly of each other. Among other things, Patriarch Bartholomew called him "a genuine missionary and professor of the desert" and would later, two decades after the Elder's repose, take the initiative to have him numbered among the saints of the Church, while Saint Paisios said among other things: "God gave us during these difficult times the best Patriarch."

This video is distributed by the Press Secretary of the Holy Metropolis of Edessa, Pella, and Almopia and was taken by a former student of Athoniados Academy.

Read also:







Labels: ,

BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER


Patreon!