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 24, 2010

Dora Bakoyannis: "The Statements of Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus Are Unacceptable"


December 24, 2010
Romfea.gr

The statements of Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus were deemed unacceptable in a statement made by the chairman of the Democratic Alliance, Dora Bakoyannis.

The entire statement of Ms. Bakoyannis:

"With astonishment I was informed of the unacceptable statements of Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, which are already doing their rounds around the world through the international media, which worked, more or less, the dire economic crisis plaguing our country into a Jewish conspiracy, and essentially denying the Holocaust both of the Jewish people and of our fellow Jews in particular, making further derogatory remarks of other crises'.

History is not rewritten on the basis of any bias. Therefore I appeal to the hierarchy of the Church of Greece to take up the matter immediately, because the statements of Metropolitan Seraphim not only puts himself outside the society of love which is the hallmark of Christians, especially Orthodox, but also tarnish the long and glorious history of tolerance for diversity and protection of all by the Orthodox Church.

Simultaneously, he brutally undermines the memory of great hierarchs, such as Damaskinos of Athens, who made every effort to rescue the Jews of Athens, and Chrysostomos of Zakynthos, who managed during the Second World War to save 275 Jews of the island.

In his statements, however, Seraphim of Piraeus, ignoring therefore that the Church is directly linked to the State, infringed the penal law of Greece, which strictly prohibits and punishes those who incite racial hatred and passions. But in this regard, Greek Justice has the power to rule."

Translated by John Sanidopoulos

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