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 18, 2019

Synaxarion of the Holy Martyr Aitherios

St. Aitherios the Martyr (Feast Day - June 18)

Verses

You accepted many torments Aitherios,
For which you were widely rewarded in the ether.

He contested during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in the year 300. After being accused of being a Christian, he was brought before the ruler Eleusios. When he confessed Christ he was stretched out and burned with lit lamps. They burned his armpits, back and chest with iron and fiery thistles. After this, they put an iron hook in his nose, then they laid him over a fiery iron bed. The Saint was preserved unharmed from the above torments by a divine Angel. Finally they beheaded him, and the renowned one received the crown of martyrdom.


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