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.



January 19, 2017

Life and Sayings of Holy Abba Makarios of Alexandria


Life

Makarios of Alexandria, born around 296, was a tradesman, a seller of sweetmeats. He went to visit Abba Pachomios at least once during Lent. He was a hermit and priest in the Cells, famous for extreme asceticism; one of his disciples was Paphnutios. He died about 393.

Sayings

1. Abba Makarios of Alexandria went one day with some brethren to cut reeds. The first day the brethren said to him, 'Come and eat with us, Father.' So he went to eat with them. The next day they invited him again to eat. But he would not consent saying, 'My children, you need to eat because you are carnal, but I do not want food now.'

2. Abba Makarios went one day to Abba Pachomios of Tabennisi. Pachomios asked him, 'When brothers do not submit to the
rule, is it right to correct them?' Abba Makarios said to him, 'Correct and judge justly those who are subject to you, but judge no one else. For truly it is written: "Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside"' (1 Cor. 5.12-13).

3. For four months Abba Makarios visited a brother every day, and he did not once find him distracted from prayer. Filled with wonder he said, 'He is an angel on earth.' 


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