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.



December 20, 2019

Saint Ignatius, Archimandrite of the Kiev Caves Lavra (+ 1434)

St. Ignatius the Archimandrite of the Kiev Caves (Feast Day - December 20)

A brief biography of Ignatius is known from the inscription rewritten in the 17th century from his tombstone: "The Monk Ignatius, Archimandrite of the Caves, for his holy life, gained the gift of miracles from God and healed many of his sick people with his prayers, and he was given the taste of the prosphora that he served. By death here is laid the body, and the soul is in heaven with Christ, and prays for us."

In the general service to the Kiev Caves Saints, it says of him: “Ignatius, the monastic shepherd and healer of the sick, in our infirmities you help us by your reverence, therefore let us offer song of praise unto your memory” (Ode 1 of the Canon).


He was buried in the Far (Theodosiev) Caves. A biochemical examination of the Saint's relics carried out in 1982, showed that he died at approximately 60 years old.

The commemoration of Venerable Ignatius was established in the 19th century on December 20 because of his namesake, the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer.


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