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 2, 2016

The Holy Senators of Sebaste, with Saints Eudoxios, Agapios and Eight other Martyrs


On the second of this month [November], we commemorate the Holy Martyrs who were of senatorial rank.

Verses

The senators longed for incorruptible honor,
Refusing honor they were beheaded as senators.*

These Holy Senators were from Sebaste and were martyred when the governor was Auxanontos, and the duke was Markellos, and Mark Agrikolaos. Their names have not been preserved, but they shine eternally in heaven. When Emperor Licinius (308-324) was at war with Constantine the Great, he proclaimed a persecution against the Christian faith in the year 315, and a group of senators had the courage to tell the emperor that his decree was unjust, and in return God would show him divine justice if he did not cease his persecution. For their boldness, Licinius ordered they be tortured and that they put to death. They nobly accepted their fate, and leaving behind their families, they encouraged and blessed one another before they were thrown to a fiery furnace, thus receiving the crown of martyrdom.

On this day we also commemorate the Holy Martyrs Eudoxios, Agapios, Attikos, Marinos, Okeanos, Eustratios, Karterios, Nikopolitianos, Styrax and Tobias.

Verses

The ten nobly persevered in the fire,
Towards the noble allotment the ten have gone.

These Ten Holy Martyrs were soldiers in Sebaste during the persecution of Emperor Licinius against the Christians in the year 315. Having boldly proclaimed their Christian faith, they were cruelly tortured in various ways. Later they were burned alive in a furnace, and thus received the unfading crown of martyrdom.

Notes:

* In the Synaxarion of Constantinople, these senators are introduced as having been beheaded by the sword, but their brief life says they died in a fiery furnace.


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