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.



April 22, 2019

Holy Martyr Nearchos

St. Nearchos the Martyr (Feast Day - April 22)
Verses

No fire will separate me, Nearchos said,
From my fiery divine zeal for you O Savior.

The Holy Martyr Nearchos was a Roman soldier in Armenia under the emperor Decius (249-251), and he later suffered for Christ under the emperor Valerian (253-259). He had a close and friendly bond with Saint Polyeuktos (Jan. 9), a fellow soldier, though Nearchos was a zealous Christian and Polyeuktos, while virtuous and nearly a Christian, was still a pagan.

When the persecution against Christians began, Nearchos said to Polyeuktos, "Friend, we shall soon be separated, for they will take me to torture, and you alas, will renounce your friendship with me." Polyeuktos told him that he had seen Christ in a dream, Who took his soiled military cloak from him and dressed him in a radiant garment. "Now," he said, "I am prepared to serve the Lord Jesus Christ."

Saint Polyeuktos was the first to die as a martyr, by beheading, and after Saint Nearchos gathered his blood as a precious and sacred relic and passed along a document relating the martyrdom of his friend Polyeuktos to the bishop, he also was condemned for his confession of Christ, and was sentenced to be burned alive.


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