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.



April 18, 2022

A Lesson for the Soul on Holy Monday: Be Fruitful (Archimandrite Athanasios Mitilinaios)


Be Fruitful
 
 On Holy Monday 
we commemorate 
the withering of the fruitless fig tree.

"And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves." (Matt. 21:18-22)

By Archimandrite Athanasios Mitilinaios

One morning, Christ was hungry. On the road He came to a fig tree, and looked on it for a fig. However, only leaves were to be found. For this the fruitless tree was condemned to be withered.

You as well, sister soul, are like a tree in the garden of the creation of God.

The Heavenly Gardner has come to you many times.

He watered you with His divine Grace.

He fertilized you with His immeasurable love.

He pruned you with His affectionate lessons.

And now, hungry for your salvation, He has come to find some "fruit".

He looks under the leaves of your formal worship to perhaps find the fruit of your repentance. Your proud, raised branches have nothing to offer Him.

He looks again just in case He overlooked something.

Tears of devotion is what He seeks! The beats of your heart is what He studies!

An impoverished soul! Such fruitlessness!

The eternal condemnation of your withering awaits you.

"Fearing a similar sentence to that of the fruitless fig tree, 
O my soul, let us bring forth fruits 
worthy of repentance to Christ, 
Who bestows on us the great mercy."
 
 
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