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.



August 16, 2018

Saints and Feasts of August 16


On the sixteenth the corpse of Diomedes was beheaded.

Holy Martyr Diomedes

Saint Diomedes the Physician and Martyr of Tarsus

The Only Church in Greece Dedicated to Saint Diomedes


Venerable Chaeremon

Life and Sayings of Holy Abba Chaeremon of Scetis


Holy Martyr Alkiviades

Holy Martyr Alkiviades


Holy Thirty-Three Martyrs of Palestine

Holy Thirty-Three Martyrs of Palestine


Commemoration of the Entrance of the 
Acheiropoieton Image of the Lord 
into the Queen City from Edessa

Images of Christ Not Made With Hands Resource Page


Commemoration of the Earthquake

Commemoration of the Great Earthquake at Constantinople on August 16, 542


Commemoration of the Depletion 
and Issuing Forth Again 
of the Holy Water in the 
Church of the Life-Giving Spring

Commemoration of the Depletion and Issuing Forth Again of the Holy Water in the Church of the Life-Giving Spring


Venerable Anton the Stylite of Martqopi


The Self-Sacrifice of Saint Gabriel the Fool for Christ


Saint Akakios, Bishop of Liti and Rendini

Saint Akakios, Bishop of Liti and Rendini (15th cent.)

Two New Saints of the Orthodox Church - Akakios and Damaskinos, Bishops of Liti and Rendini


Venerable Gerasimos the New Ascetic of Kefallonia
 
 
 
Holy New Venerable Martyrs Nikodemos of Meteora 
and Daniel of Meteora
 
 
 
Saint Timothy, Bishop of Euripos 
and Founder of Penteli Monastery

Saint Timothy the Bishop of Euripos and Founder of Penteli Monastery (+ 1590)

The Cave of Saint Timothy in Kea


Holy New Martyr Stamatios of Volos

Life and Veneration of Saint Stamatios of Volos (+ 1680)


Holy New Martyr Apostolos the New

Holy New Martyr Apostolos the New (+ 1686)


Holy New Martyrs Constantine the Prince, 
with his sons Constantine, Stefan, Radu, Matei, 
and the counselor Ianache

Saint Constantine Brancoveanu, Prince of Wallachia (+ 1714)


Finding of the Honorable Relics of Saints Seraphim, 
Dorotheos, Iakovos, Demetrios, Basil 
and Saranti in Megara

The Newly-Revealed Six Martyrs of Megara


Venerable Joseph the Hesychast 
 
 

Synaxis of the Icon of the Mother of God 
of Saint Theodore (Feodorovskaya)
 
 
 
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