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.



January 13, 2020

Consecration of the Monastery of the Prophet Elias of Vatheos Ryakos

Consecration of the Monastery of the Prophet Elias ofVatheos Ryakos
(Feast Day - January 13)

The Monastery of Vatheos Ryakos (otherwise spelled as Batheos Rhyakos and translated as Monastery of the Deep Stream) was built by Emperor Nikephoros Phokas (963-969) when Ignatios served as second abbot, though it was established by the first abbot Basil under Emperor Constantine Porphyrogennitos (901-959). It is also known as the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior, though commonly known as Soteros or Savior Monastery (Turkish: Aya Sotiri Manastırı). That it is called the Monastery of the Prophet Elias in the Synaxarion of Constantinople is wrong. Perhaps there was rather a church in the monastery dedicated to the Prophet Elias whose consecration was celebrated on January 13, or maybe it was a metochion (dependency) or skete connected to Vatheos Ryakos. The monastery is near modern Tirilye in Turkey (medieval Trigleia in Bithynia). The complex now lies ruined, although some buildings are used by locals as animal shelters.




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