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.



August 24, 2017

Saint George Limniotes the Confessor of Mount Olympus (+ 716)

St. George Limniotes (Feast Day - August 24)

Verses

The end of George was a common end,
Bearing the sign of an athlete with his cut off nose.

From a young age blessed George loved the monastic life, so he went to pass his life on the Olympus mountains. After undertaking many struggles, he boldly confessed his Orthodox faith and piety during the reign of Leo the Isaurian, who in the year 716 was destroying the holy icons and burning the relics of the Saints.

Having rebuked therefore the godlessness and impiety of the tyrant, and having proclaimed the true faith and the veneration of the holy icons, he was given over to torments in his deep old age, being ninety-five years old. Lastly they cut off his nose and burned his honorable head. The renowned one underwent all these trials with bravery. Thus after he had thanked God and prayed, he delivered his soul into the hands of God.

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