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.



December 3, 2016

Holy Hieromartyr Theodore, Patriarch of Alexandria (+ 609)

St. Theodore of Alexandria (Feast Day - December 3)

Verses

Theodore is great among the Patriarchs,
And great among the athletes by the sword.

The Chronicon Paschale says that in the year 609, the Patriarch of Alexandria "was slain by his enemies." This is Patriarch Theodore I, who had come to the throne in 607. The historical records are silent as to who these enemies were, but it was during the revolt of Nicetas, and assumed to have been the Monophysites of Egypt.


However, according to the Synaxarion of Constantinople and the Menologion of Basil II, it alludes to these enemies being pagan unbelievers, who killed Patriarch Theodore for proclaiming Christ as God to the unbelievers and converting many. For this reason he was cruelly tortured, then crowned with a crown of thorns and mocked, then thrown into the sea from which he emerged unharmed, and finally was beheaded at the order of the governor. His tomb was in Alexandria.

Following the death of Patriarch Theodore, the throne of Alexandria remained vacant until 611, when Saint John the Merciful came to occupy the throne.

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