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 24, 2022

Saint Kyriakos of Evrychou and the Child With Brain Cancer

In Larnaka there was a child who was the son of a teacher who suffered with brain cancer, and one night he saw in a dream a revered elderly man who told him:

"What is wrong, my child, that you are in pain and suffering?"

The child replied to him:

"My head."

The elderly man who appeared to him said:

"Come to my home, my child, and I will heal you."

"Where do you live?" asked the child.

The Saint answered:

"My home is in Evrychou and I am called Kyriakos."

When the child woke up he told his father about the appearance in his dream, and together they went to Evrychou.

Upon their arrival in the village, they asked if there was a certain Saint Kyriakos in the area, and they were informed the church was a bit to the north of the village. They met up with the priest of the village and together they went to the Church of Saint Kyriakos, where they venerated the tomb of the Saint as well as his icon, after which the child was healed of his ailment.

After thanking the Saint and glorifying God, they returned to Larnaka rejoicing!

Source: Μοναχού Βλασίου, Πατερικόν της νήσου Κύπρου, Άγιοι ασκητές και σπήλαια της Κύπρου, γ’ έκδοση. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
 
 
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