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.



November 18, 2017

Saint Nektarios and the Protestant Who Became Orthodox


What follows is the testimony of a recent miracle of Saint Nektarios:

On June 20 [probably of 2009] we went with the Unborn Child Protection Society on a pilgrimage trip to Aegina. We venerated the grace-flowing relics of Saint Nektarios and went to his bedroom, his grave and his new majestic church, built by the late Metropolitan Hierotheos of Hydra.

A nun narrated for us many miracles of Saint Nektarios, such as cancer healings, severe injuries, even one who was clinically dead, as well as appearances of the Saint. The following is an amazing incident. She said:

"In 2007 a German Protestant came to our monastery. Some people told him to put his ear against the tomb of the Saint to hear the banging of his cane. He put his ear to the tomb and heard a voice in German say: 'You will become Orthodox and after two years you will come here and liturgize.' The German was shocked by this and when he returned to his homeland he was catechized, baptized Orthodox and became a Priest; and not too long ago he came and liturgized at our monastery."

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

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