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 1, 2017

Synaxis of Panagia Tavriotissa at the Church of Saint George in Tavros of Attica


When refugees came to Greece from Asia Minor in 1922 during the population exchange, those from Tavros in Asia Minor settled in a place in Attica they called Tavros, and there they established the Church of Saint George in 1927. There was also a basement chapel in this church dedicated to Saint Demetrios, which was at some point destroyed by a fire. When after much labor it was restored, a unique icon of the Virgin Mary was revealed with the Christ Child sitting on her lap. This discovery took place in 2007.

When news of this discovery spread to the parishioners, they came and filled the Church of Saint George to celebrate a Paraklesis Service, since it was August 1st and the beginning of the Dormition Fast. The icon itself was covered in a white embroidery. Before the Paraklesis ended, as the hymn "The Beauty of Your Virginity" was being chanted, the priest uncovered the icon and revealed it to the people, and for the first time the people saw the icon their ancestors brought from Asia Minor in 1922. The icon was received with joy and much emotion.

When the Paraklesis was completed, the priest asked the people what they should name the icon, and the people agreed that that it should be called Panagia Tavriotissa. Thus the icon was named on August 1st in 2007, and ever since then this icon was celebrated on August 1st. When Mayor Demetrios Soutos was informed by the priest that the people wished to call the icon Panagia Tavriotissa and wanted to celebrate it annually on August 1st, he uncovered information that the icon indeed came from Tavros in Asia Minor.







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