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 3, 2023

Reflection on the Fourteenth Sunday of Luke (St. Theophan the Recluse)


Reflection on the Fourteenth Sunday of Luke

Luke 18:35-43,  Mark 10:46-52
 
By St. Theophan the Recluse 

The blind man of Jericho raised up his voice when he learned that the Lord was walking past. His wail reached the Lord; nothing surrounding the Lord could interfere with His hearing it, and the Lord called the blind man over and returned his sight. At every time and in every place the Lord does not just walk by, but is there; He governs the whole world. As human thinking would have it, this means that He has many cares; furthermore, multitudes of angels surround Him with doxologies. But if you are able to raise up your voice like the blind man of Jericho, nothing will stop your wail from reaching the Lord; He will hear and fulfill your petition. It does not depend on the Lord; He Himself is near, and all that is necessary for you is already prepared in Him; now all that is wanting is you.

Manage to raise up your voice to the measure of the Lord’s hearing, and you will immediately receive everything. What then is this measure? Faith, hope, devotion to God’s will. But even these measures have their own measures. What then should these measures be? Ask the one who has prayed and received what he requested; he will say to you: “I prayed about this and about that and I received according to my request; now I need this, I have been praying and have not received it, and I know why: because I cannot in any way ascend to that measure of prayer which I had earlier.” It turns out that it is impossible to determine this measure with literal preciseness. Only one thing is definitely true, that the matter depends upon us, and not on the Lord. As soon as you reach the point where you are capable of acceptance, you will unquestionably receive.

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