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.



May 17, 2020

Christ Went to Jacob's Well to Teach Us to Honor and Dwell in the Memory of His Saints (St. Cyril of Alexandria)


By St. Cyril of Alexandria

(Commentary on John, Bk. 2, Ch. 4)

Having crossed the borders of Judaea, and being now among aliens, the Savior rests upon Jacob's well, showing us again as in a type and darkly, that even though the preaching of the gospel should depart from Jerusalem, and the Divine Word at length hasten forth to the Gentiles, there shall not be lost therewith to Israel the love to their fathers, but Christ shall cleave to them again, and shall again be refreshed and rest, as in His Saints, preserving to them the pristine unfading grace. For He loves to dwell in the memories of His Saints, that He may make Himself an example to us in this also, and may become the Beginning and Door of the honor given to the fathers. But being wearied with His journey, as it is written, He rested, that in this too He may accuse the impiety of those that drove Him away. For whereas they ought to have gained His friendship by kindly honors, cherishing Him with reverence and fear, as a Benefactor, they maltreat the Lord with toil and labors, that He may be true, saying of them in the book of Psalms, "And they rewarded Me evil for good."



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