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.



October 16, 2025

Church of Saint Longinus the Centurion and the Holy New Martyr Triantaphyllos in Dryovouno


A unique church dedicated to Saint Longinus can be found in the village of Dryovouno, of the regional unit in Kozani of Northern Greece, which was built at the initiative of the rector Stephanos Tsantiris from Volos in 1977, on a nearby hill, which was called "Golgotha." Thus church, which is also dedicated to the Holy New Martyr Triantaphyllos of Zagora, is unique because it is the first church dedicated to Saint Longinus in modern Greece. It was consecrated by Metropolitan Antonios. Next to the church, buildings were built for the accommodation of pilgrims.

Every year on Great Friday, a crowd of clergy and laity begin a procession from the Church of Saint Menas and ascend the hill to the church on "Golgotha" for the Service of the Great Hours and Vespers, and there they reenact the ceremony of the Apohathelosis, or Descent from the Cross. They have been doing this since 1977.

Besides this, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in this church on October 16, the feast day of Saint Longinus, and on August 8 in memory of the Holy New Martyr Triantaphyllos.
 

 
 
 
 










 

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