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.



July 10, 2020

Saint George the Sweet, Archbishop of Thessaloniki (+ 11th cent.)

St. George the Sweet of Thessaloniki (Feast Day - July 10)

We have no biographical information about Saint George, except he is mentioned in the Synodikon of Thessaloniki, which is a post-Byzantine document listing the Hierarchs of Thessaloniki. This listing is significant in the sense that he is regarded as an Orthodox hierarch, since no heterodox is listed. He was Archbishop probably in the decade of the 1020's.

A fresco of Saint George can be seen in the sanctuary of the katholikon of Vatopaidi Monastery in Mount Athos, on the right side. He is depicted beardless, which may indicate he was a eunuch. This depiction dates to 1312. The reason for this depiction seems to stem from the fact that he was at one time a monk in a cell of Vatopaidi Monastery. That he is depicted with a halo indicates he was seen as a holy man of God. For this reason he is commemorated on July 10th, which is the commemoration of the Synaxis of All Saints of Vatopaidi Monastery.



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