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 27, 2023

How an Intervention of the Holy Protomartyr Stephen Was Captured in a Photograph


Elder Philaretos was the abbot of the Athonite Monastery of Konstamonitou from 1949 to 1963. This Monastery is dedicated to the Holy Protomartyr Stephen, and contains a very old icon of the Saint as well as a portion of his relics.

In the biography of this Holy Elder, we read how he had a brother named Thomas who would frequently visit him. On one occasion, however, Thomas came with a bad intention: he wanted to trick the Elder into coming back home with him to Fyteia of Imathia so he could help take care of their elderly mother, but with the ultimate goal of forcing him to serve as the parish priest of their native village.

The night before he was going to carry out his plan, he fell asleep in the Monastery. In his sleep, the Holy Protomartyr Stephen appeared to him and reprimanded him severely for his deceit. The next day, terrified, Thomas confessed to his brother his plan.

The Holy Elder Philaretos forgave his brother, and though he refused to leave the Monastery to return to his village, for the sake of his mother he allowed a photograph to be taken with his brother to show their mother.

This photograph was taken in the photography studio in Karyes, the capital of Mount Athos. It came into the possession of the fathers of Konstamonitou after Thomas's daughter, Katherine (who is now reposed), offered it to them.
 
 

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