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.



May 11, 2018

The Chapel of Saint Mokios in Nerofrakti


In the Thracian village of Nerofrakti, outside of Drama, is the Church of Saint Demetrios, where one can find the Chapel of Saint Mokios in its courtyard. Saint Mokios was martyred in ancient Perinthos, which today is called Heraclea in Eastern Thrace. His feast was especially celebrated by the Greeks in the village of Leukasio in the Thracian district of Malgara.


In 1913 the Turks burned down the village of Leukasio, thus destroying the Church of Saint Mokios. The only item that survived the destruction was the icon of Saint Mokios, which still shows signs of the bullet holes from the Turkish guns, and the bottom shows signs of burning from the fire. This icon was brought to the village of Nerofrakti, and is now kept there in the Chapel of Saint Mokios. There Saint Mokios is celebrated annually on May 11th with a great feast and dancing, and he is considered a patron of the people of Thrace as well as of farmers.


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