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.



May 27, 2021

Pilgrim Walks 87 Miles To Venerate the Relics of Saint John the Russian

 

In the month of May vows made to Saint John the Russian increase as his feast day on the 27th approaches. A typical example of this was a vow fulfilled in 2019 by  Kostas Zarkadoulas, in which he walked 87 miles (140 km) from Aliartos in Boeotia to the Church of Saint John the Russian in Prokopi. The journey took him 40 hours, and he was accompanied by his friend Vasili Karanasos. The vow to walk to Saint John the Russian was actually one he made to Saint Paraskevi.

With faith and patience he succeeded. He entered the church, knelt before the holy relic, prayed, took some holy water, and then the same day he visited the Chapel of Saint Paraskevi in Mazi Aliartos, which completed his vow. His determination impressed all those who heard about his journey, who in return offered him their best wishes.
 
 

 
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