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 10, 2019

Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Vladimir-Volhynia (+ 1122)

St. Amphilochios of Vladimir-Volhynia (Feast Day - October 10)

Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Vladimir-Volhynia was the third bishop of one of the oldest Russian dioceses, Vladimir-Volhynia, which was established in the time of Saint Vladimir. The first Vladimir-Volhynia bishop was Stephen, elected under Saint Vladimir himself; the next in succession was Abbot Stephen of the Kiev Caves (April 27), who became the abbot after Saint Theodosius (May 3). Saint Amphilochius was consecrated bishop on August 27, 1105 by the Metropolitan of Kiev, Nicephorus (1103-1121).

For seventeen years Bishop Amphilochius guided the Vladimir-Volhynia flock. Only a couple of generations separate his time from that of the Baptism of Kievan Rus, and the Saint toiled tirelessly for the conversion of pagans to Christ. He also worked to root out pagan superstitions among the newly-baptized, while pacifying the strife among the princes of the region.

Resigning as hierarch, he continued his service to God in the Kiev Caves Monastery, where he died in the year 1122. The October 10 celebration of his memory, together with the other holy hierarchs of the Volhynia region, was established in the year 1831, after the restoration of the Pochaev Lavra in Volhynia to Orthodoxy.



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