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.



November 12, 2018

Synaxarion of Saint Martin, Bishop of Terracina

St. Martin of Terracina (Feast Day - November 12)

Verses

Martin received mighty glory from God,
Which he seized by being adorned with mercy.

He was from Savaria in Pannonia, renowned in his generation and greatly recognized among the Illyrians. Adorned with the apostolic office, the Arians plotted against him. Many times he was publicly beaten by them, then banished. Going to Milan, the same thing was done to him by the Bishop there named Auxentios, who was an Arian. The renowned one was therefore forced to flee to the deserted and uninhabited island of Pantelleria in the Tyrrhenian Sea. There he lived in silence, eating only the roots of plants.

Later he became Bishop of the Church of Terracina. The renowned one shined and progressed to such an extent in his love for the poor, that first of all he distributed all his belongings to the poor. Afterwards, although he wore only one garment, when he saw someone who was impoverished freezing, he ripped his only garment from the knee, and he gave it to the poor man. Once the Saint saw someone who was dead, and as he was being brought to burial, a slanderer would not allow him to be buried, falsely saying that he owed him money. The Saint therefore raised the dead man from the dead, and pointing to the slandering liar, he ordered that he die instead of the one who was dead. In this manner therefore did the thrice blessed one live a God-pleasing and wondrous life, and reposed in peace.


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