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.



April 19, 2018

Synaxarion of Saint George the Confessor, Bishop of Pisidia

St. George the Confessor (Feast Day - April 19)

Verses

George as a great farmer,
Had virtue in all its forms at his departure.

This Saint lived during the years of iconoclasm, and was dedicated to God from childhood. Because of his extraordinary virtue, he was ordained Bishop of Pisidia.*


Due to collusion with the devil within the Church of God there was a movement towards the heresy of iconoclasm, and letters were sent out for all the Bishops to quickly gather in Constantinople, which is why this Saint also went.**

Because he was not persuaded to agree with the heretics, and refused to venerate the holy icons, he was condemned to exile and hardship.


There he spent the rest of his life, and departed to the Lord, from whom he received the crown of confession.

Notes:

* Pisidia of Antioch.

** Saint George was at Constantinople during the iconoclastic persecution under Emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820).


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