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.



May 11, 2017

Synaxarion for the Dedication of Constantinople


On this day it has been ordained to remember the birthday, namely the Dedication of the God-protected and God-magnified Constantinople, which especially ascribes her protection to our All-Immaculate Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, having been been preserved by her.

Verses

Your birthday is tied to an honorable day,
In you O City I happened to have been born.*

The Christian Emperor Constantine I the Great took the city of Byzantium, built it to be much greater than it was before, and changed its former name, giving it his own name, calling it Constantinople instead of Byzantium. Having completed all its walls and buildings and sacred churches, he dedicated it in a special way to our beyond-glorious Lady and Ever-Virgin Theotokos. Therefore he thanked God for this magnificent work, which he accomplished, and made a procession with the Patriarch of that time, together with all the clergy and laity, and they went up to the Forum, where the citizens set up his statue, which had in its head the holy nails by which our Lord was crucified to the Cross. Underneath this statue could be found the twelve baskets, which had received the abundance from the five loaves that were blessed by Christ and multiplied. From that time therefore it has been received from the Church of Christ to celebrate annually this feast in remembrance.**

Notes:

* It appears from these verses that Christopher the Patrician of Mytilene, who composed most of the iambic verses of our Church feasts in the 11th century, including this one, was born in Constantinople, therefore his parents may have been born in Mytilene.

** This took place on May 11, 330.



Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
The city of the Theotokos dedicates its foundation as an offering to the Theotokos. For it has been establish to remain in her, and it lives and is strengthened through her, crying out to her: Rejoice, the hope of all the ends of the earth.


Labels: , ,

BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER


Patreon!