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 28, 2017

Saint Paul the Physician of Corinth

St. Paul the Physician of Corinth (Feast Day - June 28)

Verses

Paul died anointed having cut off the burning passion,
Now through his intercessions he releases from suffering.

Saint Paul lived around the seventh century and was from the city of Corinth. He was born to Christian parents who raised him in piety. While still young, he withdrew to a monastery to devote his life to God, and with much labor he became an experienced ascetic. He had an especially difficult struggle with the impure spirit of fornication. One night, as Paul stood in prayer, a demon appeared to him and said that if he did not satisfy his carnal lust at least one time, he would come against him in a brutal way. With the power of the Cross and the name of Christ he drove the impure spirit of fornication away from himself, and in turn that spirit created a malicious falsehood against the Saint.

One day a depraved woman came to the monastery with a newborn infant and said that the venerable Paul was the father. The holy elder received the child with joy as if it was truly his own, enduring the slander as a trial permitted by God for his benefit. Certain men then dragged him from the monastery, placed the child in his arms and forced him to walk throughout the town for the people to ridicule and spit on him, to expose him as a false monk. The baby was only a few days old. The venerable Paul then prayed fervently to God and said to the people: "Behold, let the child himself say who is his father." The child stretched out its hand from the swaddling clothes and pointed to a blacksmith and said: "That man is my father and not Paul the monk!" The adversaries of Paul then became ashamed and asked his forgiveness.

God granted great healing powers to Paul so that when he placed his hand on the sick, they became whole. For this reason he became known as "the Physician". Paul reposed peacefully at the age of seventy, pleasing God by his life on earth.


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