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 8, 2017

The Veneration of Saint Prokopios the Great Martyr in Greece and Cyprus

14th cent. icon from the Church of Saint Prokopios in Beroia, that was stolen and remained missing from 1967 to 1974. On July 6, 2012 it was returned to Beroia and placed in the Byzantine Museum of the city.

The Holy Great Martyr Prokopios, who was martyred in Caesarea of Palestine in 303 AD for his faith in Christ, is a highly revered and honored Saint throughout Greece and Cyprus.

Among the churches dedicated to Saint Prokopios of distinction are 1) in Kerkyra, in particular in Kavos Lefkimmi and in the city of Kerkyra, 2) in Naxos, where the central church of the village of Vourvouria is dedicated to Saint Prokopios as well as the picturesque chapel on the island's homonymous beach, 3) in Lesvos, where the historic parish Church of Saint Prokopios in the village of Ippeion was reconstructed in 1741 and is adorned with a magnificent wood-carved iconostasis, 4) in Katerini, specifically on the Olympic Coast, 5) in Trikala, where there is a church dedicated to the Saint in a village named after the Saint called Agios Prokopios, 6) in Florina, where there is a church dedicated to the Saint in the village of Kladorrachi, 7) in Thesprotia, in the village of Lista, 8) and in Helydorea, where there is a chapel in mountainous Corinth that was an independent monastery but now is a dependency of the Monastery of the Prophet Elias at Zacholis.

In Cyprus, Saint Prokopios is especially honored at the Metochion of Saint Prokopios, which is a dependency of Kykkos Monastery, and is located in Engomi of Nicosia. There is also the Byzantine Church of Saint Prokopios in the occupied village of Sygrasi of Famagusta, which operated until 1974.

Holy relics of the Saint can be found throughout Greece and Cyprus, such as in the Monasteries of the Holy Trinity in Livadiou of Elassonos and the Prophet Elias in Thera.

Chapel of Saint Prokopios in Neochori, Chios

Church of Saint Prokopios in Sygrasi of Famagusta, Cyprus

Church of Saint Prokopios in the Metochion that bears his name in Engomi of Nicosia, Cyprus

17th cent. Church of Saint Prokopios in Helydorea

Church of Saint Prokopios in Ippeion, Lesvos

Processional icon of Saint Prokopios in Ippeion, Lesvos
Labels: , ,

BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER


Patreon!