ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: The Panagia Loves the Beauty of Her Monasteries

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.

August 21, 2020

The Panagia Loves the Beauty of Her Monasteries

Kernitsa Monastery in Vytina

By Father Dionysios Tampakis

There was once a pious farmer near Vytina* who wanted to cut wood for the coming winter. So he went to the Abbess of the Holy Monastery in Kernitsa** and asked her if he had a blessing to cut some wood from the area of the Monastery.

She gave him permission immediately, seeing how poor he was.

That night, however, when the poor farmer had fallen asleep, he saw in full glory the Panagia with unspeakable beauty, giving him the following order:

"You can cut from my trees as the Eldress said, but not from those in front of the Monastery, because its beauty will be spoiled and it is not appropriate."

Notes:

* A mountain village and a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece.

** Kernitsa Monastery dates to the 12th century, the oldest in Arcadia, and is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos. The monastery was established over a cave where a miraculous icon of the Panagia, the Panagia Kernitsa, was found. Today visitors are welcome at this female monastery, but the Divine Liturgy only takes place at night.