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.



September 2, 2025

The Chapel of Saint Mamas on the Island of Hydra


The Chapel of Saint Mamas is located on the island of Hydra high in the Klimaki area, on a plateau west of Mount Eros on the (internal) road to Episkopi. It is an all-white chapel in a deserted location overlooking Myrtos Beach.

It is said that the founder of the church was Th. Rigas and he was in danger of a storm coming to Hydra, but he made a vow to Saint Mamas that if he was saved, he would build him a chapel, which he did.

One of the old "owners" of the church was Kallitsas and after him his heirs. In recent years, the pious family of Elias Mastrogiannis takes care of Saint Mamas.

On the feast day of Saint Mamas, on September 2, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the priest, along with the faithful, blesses one by one all the beasts of burden that the faithful carry to the area near the church to receive the priest's blessing, then a festive table is set for the pilgrims.
 



 

 

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