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.



November 19, 2016

Holy Martyr Azes of Isauria and the 150 Soldiers With Him

St. Azes and those martyred with him (Feast Day - November 19)

Verses

To Azes
Thirsty as a deer in water,
Azes the Martyr ran towards the sword.

To the 150 Soldiers
Three sets of fifty were beheaded O Christ,
You honor the sets of fifty with a threefold crown.

To the 12 Soldiers
"We are soldiers of the King of all today,
By the sword," said the twelve soldiers.

To the Woman and her Daughter
Wife and daughter left Aquilinus,
Having found a bridegroom in Christ through the sword.

The Holy Martyr Azes was from the land of Isauria and a soldier under Emperor Diocletian (284-305). After abandoning the life of a soldier, he settled in the wilderness, where he was found to work many healings and miracles. Two hunters betrayed him and due to this he was brought before Diocletian. Having confessed his faith in Christ, he was delivered over to the eparch Aquilinus, along with one hundred and fifty soldiers. These soldiers had been sent to arrest and escort the Saint, but along the way he worked a miracle and they came to believe in Christ. For the soldiers had become weary with thirst, and Azes miraculously brought forth water and quenched their thirst. Then after baptizing them, the Martyr persuaded them to fulfill the commandment to obey those in authority, and therefore to bring him before the eparch.

The eparch therefore took the Saints with his own hands to a certain place, and he tortured Saint Azes with many wounds and punishments. He did this in order to strike fear in the converted soldiers. He then tied the Saint to a wheel, and lit a fire underneath. Because the fire extinguished and Saint remained unharmed, the wife of the eparch and his daughter came to believe in Christ. Then the eparch gave the order, first, for the one hundred and fifty soldiers to be beheaded, and then his wife and daughter. Then he ordered for the Saint to be harshly beaten, and then to be beheaded. In this way the blessed athletes of Christ all received the unfading crowns of martyrdom.


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