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 7, 2017

The 9th century Aniconic Church of Saint Kyriaki on the Island of Naxos


There are eight churches on the island of Naxos dedicated to Saint Kyriaki. The Church of Saint Kyriaki, located in the mountainous mainland of Naxos, in the area of ​​Apeiranthos, is a rare case of a Byzantine temple that has been preserved with aniconic decoration. According to archaeologists, the church was built during the period of Iconoclasm. The decoration includes crosses, geometric and plant themes, as well as unique bird performances. Based on the iconographic criteria, it dates back to the time of the Emperor Theophilos (829-842), when by his orders, "divine figures are to be removed from all the churches, while they are to be decorated and painted with beasts and hens instead" (Theophanes, Chronikon III, 10). There is also preserved later frescoes dating back to the 13th century, as well as the representation of the Deisis in the chapel. The iconostasis also dates to this time. The effort to rescue this unique monument began in 1993 by J.-G. Eynard of Geneva and the Amitiés gréco-suisses of Lausanne financing the restoration study of the monument. It was completed in 2016.




Labels: , ,

BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER


Patreon!