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 11, 2019

Venerable Tryphaine of Cyzicus

Venerable Tryphaine of Cyzicus (Feast Day - April 11)

Verses

Tryphaine is separated from her earthly flesh,
Having ruled over the luxuries of that earth.

This may be the same Tryphaine of Cyzicus as the one commemorated on January 31st, however there she is described as a martyr who was gored to death by a bull in the theater, while here she is categorized as an hosia, or venerable one, implying an ascetic or monastic background, though not necessarily. They both have similar iambic verses, but the differences indicate their two different modes of life.

However, according to the Lavra Codex I 70, she is commemorated with Venerable Matrona, where it is said they came from Cyzicus and at a young age desired to become ascetics due to their great desire for Christ. Their asceticism was so severe that they had the appearance of skin and bone. They had no cell or dwelling place, but with one garment each they lived in the open air and sometimes rested on the ground. Shortly before their death, which they foresaw, they crossed themselves and delivered their souls to the Lord. Many miracles took place at their tomb.

In Cyzicus there was a popular sacred shrine with the relics of Saint Tryphaine, though it is not clear if they belonged to the one commemorated on January 31 or April 11, if they were in fact two different people.


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