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 28, 2020

Synaxarion of the Holy Martyr Eustathios of Ancyra

St. Eustathios of Ancyra (Feast day - July 28)

Verses

The all-blessed was delivered from the river by an Angel,
And expired in the hands of the Angel that saved him.

He was a soldier, who was brought before the Governor of Ancyra named Cornelius, was questioned by him, and boldly confessing the glorious economy of our Lord Jesus Christ, he was harshly beaten. They then pierced his ankles, and tying them with ropes, he was dragged into the city of Ancyra, up to the Sagaris River. The governor followed from behind and observed. There they placed the Saint in a chest and cast him into the river. An Angel of the Lord stopped this, removing the chest and placing it on solid ground. The Saint was found there to be unharmed, chanting: "He that dwells in the help of the Highest, shall sojourn under the shelter of the God of heaven" (Ps. 91:1).

When the governor heard about this he was put to shame. Unable to endure the shame, he pulled out his knife and killed himself. The Martyr prayed, and communed of the divine Mysteries by means of a dove, which came down to him from the heavens. Thanking God, he delivered his soul into the hands of the Angel that had rescued him from the river, and in this way the blessed one received the unfading crown of the contest. His holy relic was buried in the city of Ancyra.


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