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.



March 6, 2024

The Location Where the True Cross of Christ Was Found by Saint Helen


Descending 29 steps below the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, one comes to the Armenian Chapel of Saint Helen, which has a dome and an elaborate mosaic floor. Descending 13 more steps below this chapel, which is the deepest part of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we enter the Franciscan Chapel of the Finding of the Cross. In this 12th century chapel, there is a purple-white slab of marble with an engraved Cross  (that says "Jesus Christ Conquers") which belongs to the Greek Orthodox, and this spot marks the exact location where according to tradition the True Cross of Christ, together with the Crosses of the Robbers, the Crown of Thorns and the Sacred Nails were found in a miraculous manner by Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, on March 6, 326.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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