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 31, 2024

2002 Pastoral Encyclical for Christmas (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)


Pastoral Encyclical

Sacred Metropolis of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

Christmas 2002

My beloved brethren,

This year we again celebrate the great event of the incarnation of the Son and Word of God for the salvation of man and the renewal of all creation. Man had lost the relationship and communion with God and this had consequences for all creation. Therefore, the restoration of man in Christ Jesus had to take place so that creation could also be renewed. Precisely for this reason, the feast of the Nativity of Christ has great theological significance and importance.

The apolytikion of the feast, which is well known and beloved by all of us since our childhood, does not simply describe the event of the Birth of Christ, but expresses a great theological meaning. We chant devoutly and at the same time triumphantly during the nightly Christmas Divine Liturgy: “Your birth, Christ our God, has dawned upon the world the Light of knowledge, for by it those who worship the stars, were taught by a star, to worship You, the Sun of righteousness, and to know You the Dawn from on high, Lord, glory to You.”

The main points of this troparion, which refers to the adoration of the Magi, are found in the words “Light of knowledge”, “the Sun of righteousness”, “the Dawn from on high”.

Man has always sought, and this was especially true of the ancient Greek philosophers, to acquire knowledge of God and the world. Many philosophical and scientific systems developed around this subject, but none satisfied man’s hunger and thirst. One system negated the other. These are magical, rationalistic, anthropomorphic, mystical and metaphysical systems. However, the knowledge of God is connected to the Light that shone forth at the Birth of the God-Man Christ. It is knowledge of a divine person and not knowledge of the ideas and principles on the basis of which the world was supposedly created.

This light of knowledge is connected to the Sun of righteousness, Christ. It is not the created sun that our ancestors worshiped as a god at one time in history, but the uncreated Sun of righteousness, Christ. It is a Sun that illuminates and warms the soul of man and enlivens his body, that guides him on the path of truth, that leads him to the experience of eternal life.

And of course this Light of knowledge, the Sun of righteousness and the Dawn from on high is this same Christ, who revealed Himself to men and transmitted true knowledge. This is not a knowledge that comes from human effort and knowledge of earthly realities, but it is a revelation of God Himself in the heart of man.

The apolytikion, therefore, of the Nativity of Christ speaks of the Light of knowledge, which is connected with the dawn of the Sun of righteousness and is an expression of God's love for man. And these signs have great significance for our time.

We live in an age when everyone seeks knowledge of human things, but also of God himself. The means by which this knowledge is transmitted are increasing daily. Man wants to learn the secrets of the universe, the secrets hidden within himself, the secrets of the principle that rules and governs the world. It seeks to find systems so that justice may finally prevail on earth and injustices and wars may cease. However, because this search is based on human powers, it cannot satisfy the spirit of man. Knowledge will increase, but man will remain hungry and thirsty.

We Christians know from experience that “the Light of knowledge,” “the Sun of righteousness,” “the Dawn of dawns” is Christ, as experienced in the Church which is His Body, and through Him we know the Father and have communion with the Holy Spirit, whom He sends into the world. This existential knowledge gives another meaning and purpose to our lives. This light of the Sun of righteousness brings our existence out of the darkness of ignorance.

Let us pray that this Light of knowledge, this Sun of righteousness, may illuminate our souls, so that we may see the world and our lives from a different perspective.

With paternal prayers and blessings,

THE METROPOLITAN

+ HIEROTHEOS OF NAFPAKTOS AND AGIOU VLASIOU
 
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
 

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