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.



August 1, 2019

The Dormition Fast


By Sergei V. Bulgakov

Beginning August 1 and continuing until August 15, the Church has always observed the Dormition Fast, as established of old, keeping it according to an unwritten tradition. The most ancient mention of it is by the name of Autumn Fast, placed in the 7th month by Leo the Great. However in the ancient Church there were disagreements concerning the duration of this fast. The reason for this was the feast of Transfiguration, because some decided to eat meat on this day and others continued the decision to fast for 4, others for 8 days. Finally, the old tradition concerning this fast in view of the doubts about the quantity of its days was sealed in a synodal definition in 1166 during the reign of the Constantinopolitan Patriarch Luke Chrysoberges. Since that time the single paradigmatic order of this fast was established in the Eastern Churches. With the establishment of the Dormition fast, the Church, on the one hand, guides us to spiritual transfiguration, observing the fast as a means to graceful internal circumspection, and on the other hand, motivates us to imitate the Mother of God, who spent all her life in the asceticism of fasting and prayer. In the severity of fasting this fast approaches the Forty Day Fast. It is weakened on Saturdays, Sundays, and likewise on the feast of Transfiguration.



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