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.



December 28, 2020

Three Rare Icons of the Virgin Mary as a Housewife and Mother


The first icon depicts the Virgin Mary spinning clothes for baby Jesus and pampering Him as He naps in a comfortable crib. This icon can be found in the Patriarchal Monastery of Saint George in Cairo, an area where Jesus was brought to escape persecution.
 



 
The second icon is titled "The First Steps of Christ", depicting the Virgin Mary teaching Jesus as a young child to walk. The original icon dates to the 16th century and can be found at Limonos Monastery in Lesvos.
 
 
 
The third icon is in the exhibition of icons located at the ESTIA Neas Smyrnis, which is a library and museum that contains holdings brought to Greece by refugees from Asia Minor in the 1920's. It depicts the Virgin Mary teaching the young boy Christ to read. 
 
 
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