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.



February 17, 2020

Ecumenical Patriarchate Canonizes Seven New Martyrs of Kastoria


On Friday 14 February 2020 the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate listed among the saints of the Orthodox Church seven New Martyrs of Kastoria. This was done at the proposal of Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria. Though this canonization was announced by the Holy Synod on October 3, 2019, the Act itself was not signed until now.Their common annual commemoration is on the Sunday of the Blind Man.

The Seven New Martyrs of Kastoria are as follows:

1. New Martyr Mark Peter Markoulis of Kleisoura (Nov. 12) who was born in Argos Orestiko and martyred by the Turks in 1598 by being hanged at the Cathedral Church of Saint Paraskevi.

2-4. New Martyr John Noultzos (Apr. 21) who was born and martyred in Kastoria with his brother and brother-in-law in 1696.

5. New Martyr George who was once a Hagarene (Aug. 18) who was martyred in the area of Acarnania.

6. New Hieromartyr Basil Kalapalikes (June 21) who was shot to death by Turks on June 21, 1902 while serving Vespers alone in the Church of Saint Demetrios in Chiliodendrou.

7. New Hieromartyr Platon Aivazidis (Sept. 21) who was born on the island of Patmos, where there is a church dedicated to him, but served as the Chancellor to Metropolitan Germanos Karavangelis of Kastoria for a time. On September 21, 1921 he was martyred by being hanged off a bridge in Pontus.


Apolytikion in the First Tone
By the spilling of your blood, and your divine contests, victorious martyrs of Christ, you showed yourselves to be undefiled, sacred George and Platon, wondrous Basil and Mark, John together with your brother and brother-in-law, and we cry out to you: Rejoice guardians of Kastoria, rejoice their boast, rejoice all-revered intercessors before the holy God.


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