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.



June 10, 2019

Synaxarion of the Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, Bishop of Prousis

St. Timothy of Prousis (Feast Day - June 10)

Verses

Willingly Timothy was slain by the sword,
Willingly did he in no way honor the dishonorable gods.

He contested during the reign of Julian the Apostate, in the year 361, and governed well his own church, shepherding its people in the pasture of salvation. The Saint had power and grace from God, with which he worked various miracles. Among these was killing a great dragon. This dragon lived in a cave along the public road, among the thermal waters of the city of Prousis (Prusa or Bursa), where there was a very graceful and beautiful cypress tree. This dragon, having within it the invisible wickedness of the man-killing dragon the Devil, would go out of its cave and kill with its breath alone, not only people that passed by that place, but also beasts and animals. For this reason the road was made untrodden, which lies between Prousis and the thermal waters, and no one dared pass by there.


At that time there was a queen named Christiani, who lived in Apolloniada of Bithynia, and she came to the region of Prousis. When the brethren who dwelled in the neighboring village heard of her coming, they loaded some gifts in a sacred vestment and sent them to her by means of Saint Timothy. When the Saint arrived at the cypress tree, the dragon rose up against the Saint. The Saint put the gifts at the edge of his pallium, namely his outer garment, he rolled up and bound tight the sacred vestment, and with it in his hand he slung at the dragon, who in turn withdrew from there. Having then given the queen her gifts, he embarked on his return when - O the miracle! - he beheld the dragon dead, and he glorified God. Taking with him the sacred vestment, he returned to his Metropolis. News of this miracle was spread everywhere, for which reason the people revered the Saint as a servant and friend of God.

When Julian the Apostate learned of this miracle, among others done by the Saint, he sent men to try and force him to deny Christ, however the blessed Timothy proclaimed Him as the true God, for which reason he was beheaded, and received the crown of martyrdom. His Synaxis and Feast is celebrated in his most-holy Temple, which could be found in the radiant hostel, in the Deuteron district.



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