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.



September 12, 2016

Holy Martyr Theodore of Alexandria

St. Theodore of Alexandria (Feast Day - September 12)

Verses

The head of Theodore was struck off with a sword,
And shared in the gifts of God, as the name he bears.

The Holy Martyr Theodore has been erroneously identified with Patriarch Theodore I of Alexandria (608–610) in the Hagiologion and Synaxarion, who is commemorated on December 3rd. This Theodore, however, whom we commemorate today was a layman of Alexandria during one of the early Christian persecutions. There he proclaimed Christ fearlessly and for this was seized by the pagans.

Enraged by his message, the pagans first crowned Theodore with a crown of thorns, struck and spit on him in the face, and paraded him chained through the streets of Alexandria. Then they cast him into the sea, but he was kept unharmed by divine grace. Lastly, the governor ordered that he be beheaded, and thus victoriously he entered the heavens.


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