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.



January 22, 2022

Church of Saint Anastasios the Persian on the Panagiotopoulos Estate of Salamis


The Panagiotopoulos estate occupies an area of over 40 acres at the western end of the Bay of Paloukia in Salaminos on the Greek island of Salamis. It was acquired by Panagiotis (Takis) Panagiotopoulos, a wealthy man of Piraeus, who served as Mayor of Piraeus (1925-31). He had two children, the great choreographer Maria Hors (1921-2015) wife of the architect Michael Hors, and the chemist and hero of the National Resistance Anastasios (Tasos) Panagiotopoulos (1923-2015).

The current owners of the estate are the children of Tasos Panagiotopoulos, including the Professor of Medicine Panagiotis (Takis) Panagiotopoulos. The main buildings within the estate were built by the original owner in the 1920s. The largest of all is the Villa Panagiotopoulos, a masterpiece of Art Nouveau, now owned by Mrs. Ismini (Minni) Panagiotopoulos. There are also newer utility buildings behind the villa, which are not completely visible from the Salamis Coast, where the main entrance is located.


At the northern limit of the estate stands the small Church of Saint Anastasios the Persian, today within the property of Mrs. Irene Panagiotopoulos. It was rebuilt in 1924 to the designs of the architect Ioannis Zolotas, a student of Ernest Ziller. The Panagiotopoulos family originated from the Ionian Islands, probably from Zakynthos, where the Saint is highly revered.

The church is identical to Church of Saint Nicholas of the Thon Estate in Athens, which was built in 1891 according to the plans of the same architect. The only significant difference between the two buildings is the external shape of the dome. The dome at Saint Nicholas of the Thon is made of ascending concentric circles of plinths, while the corresponding one at Saint Anastasios the Persian is made of colored mortar with protruding radial ends from the top to the sides.
 
 
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