ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: Hymn for the Ascension of our Lord (Venerable Bede)

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.

June 6, 2019

Hymn for the Ascension of our Lord (Venerable Bede)

By Venerable Bede

A hymn of glory let us sing:

New songs throughout the world shall ring:

Christ, by a road before untrod,

Ascendeth to the throne of God.

The holy apostolic band

Upon the Mount of Olives stand;

And with his followers they see

Jesus' resplendent majesty.

To whom the angels, drawing nigh,

"Why stand and gaze upon the sky?"

"This is the Saviour!" thus they say;

"This is his noble triumph-day."

"Again shall ye behold him so

As ye today have seen him go

In glorious pomp ascending high,

Up to the portals of the sky."

Oh, grant us thitherward to tend

And with unwearied hearts ascend

Unto thy kingdom's throne, where thou,

As is our faith, art seated now.

Be thou our Joy and strong Defense

Who art our future Recompense:

So shall the light that springs from thee

Be ours through all eternity.

O risen Christ, ascended Lord,

All praise to thee let earth accord,

Who art, while endless ages run,

With Father and with Spirit One.

Translated from the Latin of the Venerable Bede by Benjamin Webb.