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 16, 2019

The Only Church in Greece Dedicated to Saint Diomedes


The only church in Greece dedicated to Saint Diomedes the Physician is on the island of Chios, belonging to the Shoe Club of Chios.

It is a picturesque and elaborate church in a single-aisled Basilica style. It is made of brown Thymian stone, built in 1743 by the Brotherhood of Mavropapoutsidon, one of the two guilds of shoemakers in Chios.

During the massacre of Chios in 1822 it was destroyed by the Turks and restored in 1868 by the Brotherhood of Mavrapopoutsidon. In 1881 it suffered significant damage from the devastating earthquake that struck Chios and was repaired again in 1888.

In 1991 the church and the surrounding area were reconstructed and took its present form. The Church of Saint Diomedes has been declared a historic and preserved monument by the Ministry of Culture. It celebrates on August 16th.








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