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.



November 30, 2019

The Sole of the Right Foot of the Apostle Andrew in Kefallonia


The Monastery of the Holy Apostle Andrew in Milapidia of Kefallonia was founded during the Byzantine era, and deserted after the 13th century. It was reestablished in 1579, when three spiritual sisters named Benedictine, Leondia and Magdalene, originating from the first capital of Kefallonia - the Middle Age Municipality of Kastro - bought the land where the ruined chapel of the Apostle Andrew preexisted, aiming to lead a monastic life.

Soon after it became a Convent and in 1639 the Greek-Romanian Princess Roxane, renamed as a nun Romilia, daughter of the Protospathario leader of Moldovlachia Zotos Tsigaras and granddaughter of the sovereign of Moldovlachia Peter Voevodas, started her monastic life.

Apart from her large wealth, money and real estate, she bestowed upon the Convent a valuable spiritual treasure from Mount Athos, the sacred relic of the right foot (sole) of Apostle Andrew. The sole, wholly dislocated from the ankle, bears on it the flesh of the Saint, his dried blood, and the hole from the nail of his crucifixion. Its fragrance is distinct and very intense.






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