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.



October 8, 2019

A 17th Century Recluse Named Maximos on the Island of Delos

Mount Cynthus on Delos

By Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708)
(A Voyage Into The Levant, published in 1741)

At the foot of Mount Cynthus, we were shown a small lodge, where lived some years ago an ascetick,* as the Greeks call them: his name was Maximus, he was a caloyer of Monte-Santo,** and he returned thither to confine himself in dismal solitude, far from any new object to disturb his repose; for the Myconiots,*** who go daily to Delos to cut wood, to fish, or to hunt, gave him too frequent distractions. He dwelt some time at Stapodia, a base rock beyond Mycone,**** but he was fain to quit it, on account of the scarcity of water to drink. This humble zealous recluse was going to Salonica, to preach publicly against the Mahometan religion, and thereby merit martyrdom; but his ghostly father dissuaded him from it, representing to him, that the Turks would doubtless wreak their rage upon the other caloyers, that were less in love with being impaled than he was.

Notes:

* Ascetic.

** "Caloyer of Monte-Santo" is translated as "monk of the Holy Mountain," meaning Mount Athos.

*** Residents of Mykonos.

**** Mykonos.
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