MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER: Saint Helikonida and the Island of Symi

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 28, 2025

Saint Helikonida and the Island of Symi

A century ago on the Greek island of Symi residents there erected a church in honor of the Holy Martyr Helikonida in their cemetery, which apparently reflected her popular veneration on the island, since one can observe various icons of her scattered throughout the island and female residents can be found who are named after her. For this reason, in order to celebrate the Holy Martyr properly, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Symi commissioned from the hymnographer Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes to compose a Service of Praise in her honor to be used on her feast day, which is May 28th. This Service was first used by Metropolitan Chrysostomos in 2023.