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.



October 15, 2020

Holy Hieromartyr Lucian the Presbyter of the Kiev Caves (+ 1243)

 
St. Lucian the Presbyter of the Far Caves (Feast Day - October 15)

Venerable Lucian the Presbyter lived in the 13th century. Like many ascetics of the Kiev Caves Lavra during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, very little is known about the Holy Hieromartyr Lucian. During the invasion, some of the Kiev Caves saints were also martyred. On one old gravestone with an icon of the Saint it is written that "Lucian the Hieromartyr suffered under Batu in about 1243"; nothing else is known about him. The date given here is approximate, since Kiev was ravaged by the army of the Mongol Khan Batu in 1240. The relics of the ascetic are indicated on the map of the Far Caves for the first time presumably dating back to 1744: “The Monk Lucian Hieromartyr”. According to the results of anthropological research, he died at the age of 30-35. 



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