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 3, 2019

Holy Martyrs Dios, Bythonios and Galykos

Sts, Dios, Bythonios and Galykos (Feast Day - April 3)

Verses

To Dios.
The impious threw a clay pot at the head of Dios,
Crushing it like a clay vessel.

To Bythonios.
Bythionios was cast into the depths,
Finding his prophetic calling in the end.

To Galykos.
Galykos was bitten by the teeth of beasts,
Crushing the teeth of the noetic beast.

The Holy Martyr Dios met his end by having a clay pot thrown at his head.

The Holy Martyr Bythonios met his end by being cast into the sea.

The Holy Martyr Galykos met his end by being bitten by wild beasts.

Though these Holy Martyrs are commemorated separately in the Synaxarion of Constantinople, in the Laura Codex I 70 they are commemorated together. There it says that they stood trial before the ruler of a certain city on behalf of their Christian confession and for refusing to sacrifice to the idols. The ruler told them that if they attended a festival on behalf of a certain god, and sacrificed to that god, then he would give them whatever they wanted. The Saints told him that they would attend. When the feast began and the time for the sacrifice came, the Saints threw down the idols and crushed them. The poor people of the city then rushed to grab the broken golden pieces of the crushed idols. Insulted by this, the ruler had them bound with ropes and tied to horses, by which they were dragged throughout the city for three days, while the people threw stones or whatever else they had at them, and they bit at their flesh. Lastly, a stone was tied to them and they were cast into the sea, but an angel saved them and kept them from harm. Many pagans became Christians when they witnessed this. But those who were enraged by this had them beheaded, and in this way they received crowns of martyrdom.



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