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.



March 17, 2018

Synaxarion of the Holy Martyr Marinos

St. Marinos the Martyr (Feast Day - March 17)

Verses

By his beheading Marinos beheads error,
And Christ remains the head of all.

This Saint was a Christian from the time of his ancestors, and when he saw pagans offering sacrifices not only to men but to reptiles and disgusting insects also, he was inflamed with divine zeal, and at a time when the Greeks were celebrating a festival to the soulless idols, he hastened and overturned the sacrificial altar, and while he trampled on the sacrifices, he called himself a Christian. The pagans therefore immediately arrested him, and first they beat the Saint with thick rods, and struck at his mouth and teeth with rocks, then they dragged him by the hairs of his head. After this they bound him and delivered him to the governor, and he was tortured much by him, until he was finally beheaded, and the blessed one received the crown of martyrdom.


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