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.



February 22, 2018

Reflection for Clean Thursday (St. Theophan the Recluse)


By St. Theophan the Recluse

"Fear the Lord, and depart from evil" (Prov. 3:7). Set this as the goal of your preparation for Holy Communion, so that at the end of this preparation the fear of God will dwell in you, and a firm intention to avoid every evil will take root, even if you should have to lose everything, including your life, in order to do so. Do not limit yourself to an external routine of preparation alone, but focus in particular on yourself, enter within yourself and examine your views, whether they are in agreement in all things with the true word of God. Examine your inclinations and dispositions, whether they are what the Lord demands of you in the Gospels. Examine your whole life, whether it agrees with God’s commandments in every way. Mourn and hate whatever is offensive to God, and set in your mind never to do it again. If you do this, you will be most wise; but you would most unwise not to do this.


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