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 20, 2019

That We Should Attend the Divine Liturgy with Awe and Reverence


By Cyril of Scythopolis,

(Life of St. Euthymios, 28)

The great and inspired Euthymios returned from Rouba to the lavra after two years. One holy Sunday he was offering the bloodless sacrifice to God, while Domitian was standing to the right of the altar and holding the liturgical fan. As he was performing the anaphora, Terebon the Saracen, who was standing near the altar with his hands resting on the sanctuary rails, suddenly beheld fire descend from heaven, which spread out over the altar rather like a veil and concealed the great Euthymios and the blessed Domitian, remaining there from the start of the doxology of the Trisagion till its completion. No one saw this miracle save those within the fire and Terebon and also Chrysippus' brother Gabrielius, a eunuch from birth, who after twenty five years had now for the first time advanced forward into the church as was related to me by Abba Kyriacos the anchorite, who received an accurate account of this from Terebon and Gabrielius.

Overcome by awe, Terebon fled to the back of the church, and resolved from then on no longer to lean on the sanctuary rails as, brashly and presumptuously, he had been wont to do at the time of the holy oblation, but instead he stood in awe and reverence at the back door of the church at the time of the synaxis. This was in accordance with the commandment that orders the sons of Israel to be pious and not contemptuous.


BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER