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 28, 2017

Holy Martyr Zeno of Nicomedia

St. Zeno the Martyr (Feast Day - December 28)

Verses

The head of Zeno was cut off by a sword,
Unwilling to venerate the statue of Zeno (namely Zeus).

After the Emperor Maximian had 20,000 Christians burned alive in a church in Nicomedia a few days after the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, he thought he had killed what was left of the Christians of the city. For this reason he called for a public festival to the goddess Demeter, and at this festival a large altar was set up for sacrifices to be offered.

Now there was a pious Christian in the crowd named Zeno, who filled with divine zeal stood in the midst of the multitude and addressed the emperor, saying: "You are deceived and led astray, O emperor, in giving veneration to insensate stones and deaf wood. The demons have tricked those who worship such objects and led them to destruction. Cease, O Maximian, being so mindless and foolish. Come to your senses; instead, raise to the heavens both the eyes of your body and mind, that you may come to know the Creator and learn of Him by His creations. He is not pleased with the blood and scent of a sacrifice of irrational creatures, but rather in the pure souls and hearts of men."

Upon hearing this, the emperor ordered his men to take stones and shatter Zeno's mouth and cheeks. So violent was the strike, that his teeth were broken and cheeks crushed. From his wounds he bled profusely, but before he expired, he was taken outside the city and was beheaded, thus receiving the crown of martyrdom.

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