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.



April 15, 2017

"The Conqueror of Death" (An Orthodox Holy Week Documentary)


"The Conqueror of Death" is a documentary film that describes the days of so-called Passion Week (the week in which Christ suffered and died) and Easter Sunday (the day that Christ resurrected).

The film is designed so as to explain to a wider audience the implications of these events and the significance of the Resurrection of Christ, and therefore the meaning of Theanthropic feats of salvation.

The Divine Services and the Monastery life in the days of Passion Week and the Resurrection were recorded by Cinnamon production from Belgrade in Dečani Monastery between 2009-2012.

The significance of each of these days, in particular, is explained by quotations from the Gospel, from the liturgical texts of the Lenten Triodion of the Holy and Great Week, from the sermons of St. John the Chrysostom, St. Nikolai of Zhicha and St. Justin of Chelije.

Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral, Amfilohie, who at the time of working on one phase of the film in 2010 was the administrator of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren, in the film explains the meaning of all major events in the last week of Christ's life on earth, his suffering for us and the very significance of the Resurrection of Christ.

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