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.



July 26, 2017

Monastery of Saint Anthimos and Saint Paraskevi in Lepeda of Kefallonia


The Monastery of Saint Anthimos and Saint Paraskevi in Lepeda of Kefallonia is a female monastery that unfortunately is empty today following the death of the nun Hermioni, who served here for almost a century. It was established in 1568 as a male monastery, with Laurentios Mantzavinos being the first abbot. He along with other monks built the entrance to the cave, where they found the Holy Water of Saint Paraskevi. There they built a church and dedicated it to the miraculous Saint, when Timothy Tipaldos was the archbishop.

Saint Anthimos Kourouklis (1727-1782), the Blind Ascetic of Kefallonia, received his education as a child from Abbot Anthimos at this monastery, and when he was twenty he became a monk here. After a missionary journey throughout the Cyclades and Dodecanese, he returned to this monastery in 1769, two years after it was destroyed in a devastating earthquake. Saint Anthimos had the monastery restored and converted it into a convent. After this he embarked on further missionary activity, but having been informed of his impending death by the Lord he returned to the Monastery of Saint Paraskevi, where he reposed in 1782. Since then his name became associated with the monastery.

Another luminary of this monastery was Abbess Anthimi Paschali, who shepherded the nuns of the monastery for 44 years (1892-1936). She was a holy nun with the gift of clairvoyance. Many souls were gathered under her care at the monastery, leading many women to become nuns.

After the earthquakes of 1953 the monastery became deserted, for it destroyed the cave church. The church and the two-story building today were built after this earthquake. The only original part of the monastery left is the gate, and visitors today can go and venerate the miraculous icon of Saint Paraskevi. It is under the care of the nuns from the Monastery of Saint Gerasimos of Kefallonia.

The monastery celebrates twice a year:

A) July 26th for the feast of Saint Paraskevi

B) September 4th for the feast of Saint Anthimos

The Monastery with the original Gate


The Cave of St. Anthimos




The Grave of Abbess Anthimi Paschali




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