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.



January 24, 2019

Commemoration of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John next to the Taurus

Church of Saint John the Forerunner next to the Taurus (Feast Day - January 24)

Verses

How will my tongue praise you Preacher,
Whom Christ called greater than all the earthborn?

On this day is the Commemoration of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John next to the Taurus. It appears that next to the Forum of Taurus in Constantinople, there was a church dedicated to John the Baptist which was probably consecrated on this day.

The Forum of Taurus, or the "Market of the Bull", in Constantinople was created by Constantine the Great. It was situated along the main road of the new city, the Mese, ¾ km west of the Forum of Constantine, and is more or less identical to modern Beyazıt Square. More than half a century after Constantine had created it - in 393, to be precise - the marketplace was redecorated by the emperor Theodosius I; it was from now on called Forum of Theodosius. It was Constantinople's largest public square.


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