Who brought Christianity to Armenia. History and traditions of the Armenian people from ancient times to the present

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27.09.2019

It became the first Christian state in the world.

In the published data of the 2011 Armenian census, 92.6% of the country's population belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, 1.0% of the population belong to the Protestant Armenian Evangelical Church, 0.5% belong to the Armenian Catholic Church, 0.3% to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses (which differs from both traditional Christian churches and Protestant ones), 0.25% Orthodox, 0.1% belong to the Molokan spiritual Christian denomination, and an unknown number of Christians in the census data are classified as "other" (total 0, 26% of the country's population), which, in addition to Christians, includes Muslims, Jews and a number of other non-Christian religions. Thus, slightly less than 95% of the country's population are Christians.

Armenian apostolic church is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, which also includes the Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Syrian and Malankara Orthodox churches.

Among a number of national minorities, there is a high degree of religious assimilation, so 77% of the Greeks of Armenia belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, 57% of Ukrainians, 41% of Russians and Georgians, 34% of Assyrians belong to the same church. There is also a steady trend towards a reduction in the number and proportion of national minorities, which are traditional bearers of those confessions that do not have a traditional distribution among ethnic Armenians.

Yezidism

During the census, the Yezidis were qualified as an independent ethnic group, and their traditional religion in the officially published census materials appears under the name "Sharfadin". Of the 35,308 ethnic Yezidis, 69% (24,518 people) belong to the Sharfanid religion, in addition, 31% of ethnic Kurds (682 people) belong to the Sharfanid religion. In total, 25,204 followers of the Sharfanid religion (0.83% of the country's population) live in Armenia. Yezidis mainly live in the villages of the Ararat Valley, northwest of Yerevan. On September 29, 2012, the Yazidi temple "Ziarat" was solemnly opened in the Armavir region of Armenia. This is the first temple built outside the original homeland of the Yezidis - northern Iraq, designed to meet the spiritual needs of the Yezidis of Armenia.

Judaism

3,000 Jews live in Armenia, mostly in Yerevan.

Islam

Followers of Islam live in Armenia, this religion is practiced by Kurds, Persians, Azerbaijanis and other peoples. There is a mosque in Yerevan for Muslims.

Today in Armenia, the Muslim Kurdish community numbers several hundred people, most of them live in the Abovyan region, a certain number of Muslim Azerbaijanis live near the eastern and northern borders of Armenia in the countryside. About 1,000 Muslims live in Yerevan - Kurds, Persians and immigrants from the Middle East.

Paganism

According to the 2011 census, there are 5,434 followers of paganism in the country. The vast majority of Armenian citizens who are recorded as pagans in the census are ethnic Yezidis (3624 people or 10% of the total number of ethnic Yezidis), as well as ethnic Kurds (half of the total number of ethnic Kurds in Armenia, or 1068 people, are recorded as pagans).

Among ethnic Armenians, 734 people or 0.02% of all ethnic Armenians of the country indicated themselves as pagans. Getanism is a neo-pagan religious movement that recreates the traditional christian religion Armenians. Founded by Armenologist Slak Kakosyan on the basis of the writings of the famous Armenian nationalist Garegin Nzhdeh. Neo-pagan rites are regularly held in the temple of Garni. The head of the pagan communities in Armenia is the priest Zohrab Petrosyan. The exact number of followers is unknown. Armenian neo-paganism has a certain popularity, in particular among supporters of far-right and nationalist movements. Hetanism's followers included prominent Armenian politicians Ashot Navasardyan, founder of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, and Andranik Margaryan, the country's former prime minister.

Freedom of religion in Armenia

official statistics

Religious composition of the population of Armenia according to the 2011 census
Nationality total population having a religion Armenian Apostolic Evangelical Sharfadinskaya Catholic Jehovah witnesses Orthodox pagans Molokans others (including Muslims, Jews) Have no religion Refused to answer Religion not specified
Armenia (total) 3 018 854 2 897 267 2 796 519 29 280 25 204 13 843 8 695 7 532 5 434 2 872 7 888 34 373 10 941 76 273
Armenians 2 961 801 2 843 545 2 784 553 28 454 0 13 247 8 581 3 413 734 0 4 563 33 254 10 086 74 916
Yezidis 35 308 33 772 3 597 532 24 518 0 40 0 3 624 0 1 461 413 547 576
Russians 11 911 11 078 4 899 150 0 336 37 2 798 0 2 755 103 325 132 376
Assyrians 2 769 2 556 935 47 0 11 14 601 2 0 946 162 20 31
Kurds 2 162 2 098 180 42 682 0 2 0 1 068 0 124 29 18 17
Ukrainians 1 176 1 121 674 10 0 44 8 360 0 19 6 34 8 13
Greeks 900 838 692 6 0 24 2 109 0 0 5 41 9 12
Georgians 617 401 253 10 0 23 4 93 0 0 18 17 16 183
Persians 476 401 27 0 3 12 0 1 0 0 358 17 36 22
other 1 634 1 393 661 29 1 143 6 150 6 98 299 64 51 126
refused to answer the question about nationality 100 64 48 0 0 3 1 7 0 0 5 17 18 1

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An excerpt characterizing Religion in Armenia

The French colonel could hardly hold back a yawn, but he was courteous and, apparently, understood the full significance of Balashev. He led him past his soldiers by the chain and informed him that his desire to be presented to the emperor would probably be immediately fulfilled, since the imperial apartment, as far as he knew, was not far away.
They passed the village of Rykonty, past the French hussar hitching posts, sentries and soldiers saluting their colonel and examining the Russian uniform with curiosity, and drove to the other side of the village. According to the colonel, the head of the division was two kilometers away, who would receive Balashev and escort him to his destination.
The sun had already risen and shone cheerfully on the bright greenery.
They had just left behind the tavern on the mountain, when a group of horsemen appeared to meet them from under the mountain, in front of which, on a black horse with a harness shining in the sun, rode a tall man in a hat with feathers and black hair curled to the shoulders, in a red mantle and with long legs sticking out forward, as the French ride. This man galloped towards Balashev, shining and fluttering in the bright June sun with his feathers, stones and gold galloons.
Balashev was already at a distance of two horses from the rider galloping towards him with a solemnly theatrical face in bracelets, feathers, necklaces and gold, when Yulner, a French colonel, whispered respectfully: "Le roi de Naples." [King of Naples.] Indeed, it was Murat, now called the Neapolitan king. Although it was completely incomprehensible why he was a Neapolitan king, he was called that, and he himself was convinced of this and therefore had a more solemn and important air than before. He was so sure that he was really the king of Naples, that when, on the eve of his departure from Naples, during his walk with his wife through the streets of Naples, several Italians shouted to him: “Viva il re!”, [Long live the king! (Italian)] he turned to his wife with a sad smile and said: “Les malheureux, ils ne savent pas que je les quitte demain! [Unfortunate, they don't know that I'm leaving them tomorrow!]
But despite the fact that he firmly believed that he was a Neapolitan king, and that he regretted the sorrow of his subjects he left, in recent times, after he was ordered to enter the service again, and especially after a meeting with Napoleon in Danzig, when his august brother-in-law said to him: “Je vous ai fait Roi pour regner a maniere, mais pas a la votre”, [I made you king in order to reign not according to his own, but according to mine.] - he cheerfully set to work familiar to him and, like a horse that was corrugated, but not fat, fit for service, sensing himself in a harness, played in the shafts and, having discharged himself as colorfully as possible and more expensive, cheerful and contented, galloping, without knowing where or why, along the roads of Poland.
Seeing the Russian general, he royally, solemnly, threw back his head with his hair curled to his shoulders and looked inquiringly at the French colonel. The colonel respectfully conveyed to His Majesty the meaning of Balashev, whose name he could not pronounce.
– De Bal macheve! - said the king (with his determination overcoming the difficulty presented to the colonel), - charme de faire votre connaissance, general, [it is very pleasant to meet you, general] - he added with a royally gracious gesture. As soon as the king began to speak loudly and quickly, all royal dignity instantly left him, and he, without noticing it himself, went into his usual tone of good-natured familiarity. He put his hand on the withers of Balashev's horse.
- Eh, bien, general, tout est a la guerre, a ce qu "il parait, [Well, general, things seem to be going to war,] - he said, as if regretting a circumstance that he did not could judge.
- Sire, - answered Balashev. - l "Empereur mon maitre ne desire point la guerre, et comme Votre Majeste le voit," said Balashev, using Votre Majeste in all cases, [The Emperor of Russia does not want her, as your majesty please see ... your majesty.] with the inevitable an affectation of the increasing frequency of the title, referring to a person for whom this title is still news.
Murat's face shone with stupid contentment while he listened to monsieur de Balachoff. But royaute oblige: [royalty has its duties:] he felt the need to speak with Alexander's envoy about state affairs, as king and ally. He dismounted from his horse and, taking Balashev by the arm and moving a few steps away from the reverently waiting retinue, began to walk back and forth with him, trying to speak significantly. He mentioned that Emperor Napoleon was offended by the demands for the withdrawal of troops from Prussia, especially now that this demand had become known to everyone and that the dignity of France was offended by this. Balashev said that there was nothing offensive in this demand, because ... Murat interrupted him:
“So you don’t think Emperor Alexander was the instigator?” he said unexpectedly with a good-natured stupid smile.
Balashev said why he really believed that Napoleon was the instigator of the war.
- Eh, mon cher general, - Murat interrupted him again, - je desire de tout mon c?ur que les Empereurs s "arrangent entre eux, et que la guerre commencee malgre moi se termine le plutot possible, [Ah, my dear general, I wish with all my heart that the emperors end the matter between themselves and that the war started against my will end as soon as possible.] - he said in the tone of conversation of the servants who wish to remain good friends, despite the quarrel between the masters. And he went on to questions about the Grand Duke, about his health and about the memories of the fun and amusing time spent with him in Naples.Then, as if suddenly remembering his royal dignity, Murat solemnly straightened up, took the same position in which he stood at the coronation, and waving right hand, said: - Je ne vous retiens plus, general; je souhaite le succes de vorte mission, [I will not detain you any longer, general; I wish success to your embassy,] - and, fluttering with a red embroidered robe and feathers and shining with jewels, he went to the retinue, respectfully waiting for him.
Balashev rode on, according to Murat, expecting to be presented to Napoleon himself very soon. But instead of an early meeting with Napoleon, the sentries of the Davout infantry corps again detained him at the next village, as well as in the advanced chain, and the adjutant of the corps commander, called, escorted him to the village to Marshal Davout.

Davout was Arakcheev of Emperor Napoleon - Arakcheev is not a coward, but just as serviceable, cruel and incapable of expressing his devotion except by cruelty.
The mechanism of the state organism needs these people, just as wolves are needed in the organism of nature, and they always exist, always appear and hold on, no matter how incongruous their presence and proximity to the head of government may seem. Only this necessity can explain how the cruel, who personally tore out the mustaches of the grenadiers and who, due to his weakness, could not endure the danger, the uneducated, uncourt Arakcheev, could remain in such strength with the chivalrously noble and gentle character of Alexander.
Balashev found Marshal Davout in the barn of a peasant's hut, sitting on a barrel and busy with written work (he checked the scores). The adjutant stood beside him. It was possible to find a better place, but Marshal Davout was one of those people who deliberately put themselves in the most gloomy conditions of life in order to have the right to be gloomy. For the same reason they are always hastily and stubbornly busy. "Where is there to think about the happy side human life when, you see, I am sitting on a barrel in a dirty shed and working, ”the expression on his face said. The main pleasure and need of these people is that, having met the revival of life, to throw this revival into the eyes of my gloomy, stubborn activity. Davout gave himself this pleasure when Balashev was brought in. He went even deeper into his work when the Russian general entered, and, looking through his glasses at Balashev's animated face, impressed by the beautiful morning and the conversation with Murat, he did not get up, did not even move, but frowned even more and grinned maliciously.
Noticing the unpleasant impression made by this technique on Balashev's face, Davout raised his head and coldly asked what he needed.
Assuming that such a reception could only be made to him because Davout did not know that he was the adjutant general of Emperor Alexander and even his representative before Napoleon, Balashev hastened to announce his rank and appointment. Contrary to his expectations, Davout, after listening to Balashev, became even more severe and rude.
- Where is your package? - he said. - Donnez le moi, ije l "enverrai a l" Empereur. [Give it to me, I will send it to the emperor.]

Armenia is one of the few countries that has only one religion at the core of its religion. Basically, even small countries with small populations have several religions. Such unity of the people of this country, of course, has a positive effect on the relations of citizens within the country. Therefore, many tourists are interested in the question, what is the religion of the Armenians?

There is only one religion in Armenia - Christianity. The Church of Armenia is officially called the Armenian Apostolic Church named after St. George the Illuminator. The church got its name thanks to the memory of the holy Apostle Thadeus and the holy Apostle Bartholomew, who preached the Christian religion in this country in the first century and in honor of the Illuminator George, with the help of whom the king of the country was baptized in the 301st century BC, as well as all the courtiers of the king and the whole people living in this country.

It is this church that is the most ancient Christian church among many other sacred parishes. In this…

The Christian world is so secularized that the European peoples, once the stronghold of evangelical values, are called post-Christian civilization. The secularity of society allows embodying the most phantasmagoric aspirations. The new moral values ​​of Europeans come into conflict with what religion preaches. Armenia is one of the few examples of fidelity to millennial ethno-cultural traditions. In this state, at the highest legislative level, it is evidenced that the centuries-old spiritual experience of the people is a national treasure.

What is the official religion in Armenia

More than 95% of the three million population of the country are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This Christian community is one of the oldest in the world. Orthodox theologians attribute the Transcaucasian community of believers to five other, so-called anti-Chalcedonian communities. The established theological definition does not give an exhaustive answer to the question of which religion in ...

The religion of Armenia is very diverse. It includes Christianity, Islam, Yezidism and Frengi. Most of the inhabitants of Armenia are believers. It is believed that the most common religion is Christianity.

Christianity in Armenia

About 94% of the total population preach Christianity and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. This church is one of the oldest in the world. Few people know that Armenia is the first Christian State in the world: in 301, faith in the King of Heaven and his son Christ became the state religion of the country. Bartholomew and Thaddeus are considered the first preachers here.

In 404, the Armenian alphabet was created, and in the same year the Bible was translated into Armenian, and in 506 the Armenian Church officially separated from the Byzantine one, which significantly influenced the further history of the state, its political and social activities.

Catholicism in Armenia

But Christianity is not the only religion whose adherents…

The Armenian Church is one of the oldest Christian communities. In 301, Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. For many centuries there has been no church unity between us, but this does not interfere with the existence of good neighborly relations. At the meeting held on March 12 with the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Russia O.E. Yesayan, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted: “Our relations go back centuries... The closeness of our spiritual ideals, a single moral and spiritual system of values ​​in which our peoples live, are a fundamental component of our relations.”

Readers of our portal often ask the question: “What is the difference between Orthodoxy and Armenian Christianity”?

Archpriest Oleg Davydenkov, Doctor of Theology, Head of the Department of Eastern Christian Philology and Eastern Churches of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Theological University answers the questions of the Orthodoxy and World portal about pre-Chalcedonian churches, one of which is…

Articles - Non-Orthodoxy

Christianity in Armenia. Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) is one of the oldest Christian churches, which has a number of significant features that distinguish it from both Byzantine Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. Refers to the ancient Eastern churches.

Many are mistaken in understanding the position that the Armenian Church occupies in the Christian world. Some consider it to be one of the Local Orthodox Churches, while others, misled by the title of First Hierarch of the AAC (“Catholicos”), consider it to be part of the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, both of these opinions are wrong - Armenian Christians stand apart from both the Orthodox and the Catholic world. Although even their opponents do not argue with the epithet "Apostolic". After all, Armenia really became the first Christian state in the world - in 301 Great Armenia adopted Christianity as a state religion. A paramount role in this greatest...

This most important event in the history of the Armenian people took place in 301. The primary role in the adoption of Christianity was played by Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia, who became the first Catholicos of the Armenian Church (302-326), and the king of Armenia Trdat III (287-330).

According to the writings of Armenian historians of the 5th century, in 287, Trdat arrived in Armenia, accompanied by Roman legions, to return his father's throne. In the estate of Yeriza, Gavar Ekegeats. he performs the ritual of sacrifice in the temple of the pagan goddess Anahit.

One of the king's associates, Gregory, being a Christian, refuses to sacrifice to an idol. Then Trdat learns that Gregory is the son of Anak, the murderer of Trdat's father, King Khosrov II. For these "crimes" Gregory is imprisoned in the Artashat dungeon, intended for suicide bombers. In the same year, the tsar issued two decrees: the first of them ordered the arrest of all Christians within the borders of Armenia with the confiscation of their property, and the second - to put them to death ...

Protopresbyter Theodore Zisis

professor at the University of Thessaloniki

ARE ARMENIANS ORTHODOX?

VIEW OF ST. PHOTIOS…

History of the Armenian Church

(44-60 years).
Holy Tradition Armenian Church says that after the Ascension of Christ, one of his disciples, Thaddeus, arrived in Great Armenia with a Christian sermon. Among the many converted by him to the new faith was the daughter of the Armenian king Sanatruk - Sandukht. For the confession of Christianity, the apostle, along with Sandukht and other converts, accepted by order of the king martyrdom in Shavarshan.

Some time after preaching in Persia, the Apostle Bartholomew arrived in Armenia. He converted to Christianity the sister of King Sanatruk - Vogui and many nobles, after which, by order of Sanatruk, he was martyred in the city of Arebanos, which is located between the lakes Van and Urmia.

In the 1st century, the spread of Christianity in ...

The Armenian Apostolic Church is a very ancient church, which has a number of features. There are many myths about its essence in Russia. Sometimes Armenians are considered Catholics, sometimes Orthodox, sometimes Monophysites, sometimes iconoclasts. The Armenians themselves, as a rule, consider themselves Orthodox and even a little more Orthodox than other Orthodox churches, which in the Armenian tradition are usually called "Chalcedonian". And the truth is that there are three types of Armenian Christians: Gregorians, Chalcedonians and Catholics.

With the Catholics, everything is simple: these are the Armenians who lived in Ottoman Empire and who were converted to Catholicism by European missionaries. Many Catholic Armenians then moved to Georgia and now inhabit the regions of Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe. In Armenia itself, they are not numerous and live somewhere in the far north of the country.

With the Chalcedonians it is already more difficult. These include both Catholic Armenians and Orthodox Armenians. Historically, these are the Armenians who lived on the territory of Byzantium and recognized ...

[Full name - Armenian Holy Apostolic Orthodox Church; arm….

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Baptism of Armenia

Vladimir Akopdzhanov

The year 301 is the official date of the declaration of Christianity as the state religion in Armenia. This date is historical, dry and, to some extent, conditional. It is impossible to consciously accept faith in one day or a year for a whole state, people. The adoption of Christianity in Armenia did not take place immediately: it did not last for years, but for centuries. The faith of Christ has become an integral part of the Armenian soul and determined the historical fate of the people. The process of preaching the Word of God had a number of key points, without highlighting which the essence of the adoption of Christianity by the Armenian people cannot be understood. So, first things first.

According to Holy Tradition, the gospel in Armenia began in the middle of the first century by the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew (Tadeos and Bartuhimeos, in Armenian). It is this fact that explains that the Armenian Church is Apostolic. Unfortunately, in Russia they mistakenly use something else ...

Work on this difficult topic began last year, during a dialogue with the famous Italian scholar, specialist in the history and theology of the Eastern Churches, Giovanni Guaita (unfortunately, Mr. Guaita could not participate in the dialogue to the extent that he wanted) . Why did the editors of the magazine consider this topic relevant? Perhaps in the near future we will talk about a new axis of reference for the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and a significant part of its flock.

The term "axis of reference" means that external, actual-significant, correlated, with which, first of all, an individual or a community compares himself. Self-identification is, first of all, distinguishing oneself from the “other”, “the other”. In a changing world, it occurs continuously - including through conflict or cooperation, through polemical dialogue, through understanding the similarities and differences with the referent object. Contacts with other Churches, often possessing immeasurably greater resources in material and…

Raise the banner on the earth, blow the trumpet among the peoples, arm the peoples against it (Babylon), convene the kingdoms of Ararat, Minin and Askenaz against it, put a leader against it, bring horses like a terrible locust.

Jeremiah 51, 27

Armenia, the country of Ararat, the House of Fogarm, the Ashkenazi kingdom, Urartu or simply Hayastan. A high-mountainous and unconquerable country where Armenians live.
According to Greek mythology Armenians came to this land from Europe and were its first inhabitants. According to Georgian legends, Hayos, the ancestor of the Armenians, was the oldest among the brothers both in age and deeds, each of whom was to become the ancestor of one of the Caucasian peoples. And we find the most important mention of Armenia in the Bible. Is it by chance that the Saving Noah's Ark stopped at Ararat - sacred mountain Armenians (Gen. 8.4)?
In no case. The words of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 27:14; 38:6) also confirm this. Probably in favor of the latter is the fact that the Armenians were the first to adopt Christianity as a state religion, back in 301, much earlier than the Greeks and Romans. The Armenian Church is called Apostolic: in honor of the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, came to Armenia to preach the faith of Jesus. To this day, the Armenian Apostolic Church is headed by the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, whose throne from the very beginning was separate and independent, and Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual capital of the Armenian people, is the throne of St.

Apostle Thaddeus. We add: until the 7th century, the Catholicos was the supreme pastor not only of Armenia, but also of neighboring Christian states.
Saint Mesrop Mashtots (Zb1-439) in 404 from the Nativity of Christ created the Armenian alphabet (which is still used today), and it was the most perfect alphabet of that time, since it fully corresponded to the pronunciation. The classical style of European writing was adopted - from left to right and from top to bottom. Mashtots translated the Bible with his students.
Subsequently, this manuscript became known to the world as the "Queen of Translations", because it turned out to be the best. Mashtots fulfilled his Christian duty by creating alphabets also for Georgians and Caucasian Allans.
It is out of place and pointless to retell the more than 4000-year history of one of the most ancient peoples. I would just like to emphasize the complete continuity of the phenomenon that already in the 6th century there were 70 Armenian churches and monasteries in the Promised Land, and a little later the Armenian Patriarchy was founded (638). In the Holy Land, the Armenian Church is also called Orthodox, as it remained faithful to the teachings of the Holy Apostles and belongs to the family of Oriental Orthodox Churches. The Coptic, Syrian and Ethiopian Churches in the Holy Land are her followers.
Also, the purpose of this site is to briefly familiarize the reader with the shrines of Armenian Jerusalem, without claiming to be an exhaustive description.

The history of the adoption of Christianity in Armenia

Spiritual Library» Armenian Apostolic Church »History of the Armenian Apostolic Church

The material about the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church is taken from the book of Yeznik Petrosyan Armenian Apostolic Holy Church

History of the Armenian Apostolic Church from the apostles to the fall of the Kingdom of Cilicia.

1. Preaching Christianity in Armenia in the I-III centuries

Information relating to the most ancient period in the history of the Armenian Church is scarce.

According to Sacred Tradition Armenian Church, the first seeds of Christianity were sown on the land of Armenia during the time of the apostles. A number of historical testimonies (in Armenian, Syriac, Greek and Latin) confirm the fact that Christianity in Armenia was preached by the holy apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who thus became the founders of the Church in Armenia and were martyred by order of the Armenian king Sanatruk.

In the 1st century, the spread of Christianity in Armenia was facilitated by a number of external and internal factors. So, for example, at that time Christianity became widespread in the countries neighboring Armenia: Cappadocia, Osroene and Adiabene, trade, political and cultural connections with whom they created favorable conditions to spread Christianity in Armenia. In addition, in the I-III centuries Lesser Armenia was politically part of the Roman province of Cappadocia, and it is quite natural that Christianity could spread through Lesser Armenia in Greater Armenia.

An important prerequisite for the spread of Christianity was the existence of Jewish colonies in Armenia. As you know, the first preachers of Christianity usually began their activities in those places where there were Jewish communities. So, the Apostle Thaddeus, having arrived in Edessa, stopped at the house of a noble Jew. Jewish communities existed in the main cities of Armenia: Tigranakert, Artashat, Vagharshapat, Zareavan and others. Tertullian in the book “Against the Jews”, written in 197, tells about the peoples who adopted Christianity: the Parthians, Lydians, Phrygians, Cappadocians, and mentions Armenians. This testimony is also confirmed by Blessed Augustine in his work Against the Manichaeans.

At the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 3rd centuries, Christians in Armenia were persecuted by the kings Vagharsh II (186-196), Khosrov I (196-216) and their successors. These persecutions were described by the Bishop of Cappadocia Caesarea Firmilnan (230-268) in his book "The History of the Persecution of the Church". Eusebius of Caesarea mentions the letter of Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, “On repentance to the brothers in Armenia, where Meruzhan was bishop” (VI, 46. 2). The letter dates from 251-255. It proves that in the middle of the III century in Armenia there was a Christian community organized and recognized by the Ecumenical Church.

2. Adoption of Christianity by Armenia

This most important event in the history of the Armenian people took place in 301. The primary role in the adoption of Christianity was played by Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia, who became the first Catholicos of the Armenian Church (302-326), and the king of Armenia Trdat III the Great (287-330). According to the writings of Armenian historians of the 5th century, in 287, Trdat arrived in Armenia, accompanied by Roman legions, to return his father's throne. In the estate of Yeriz, gavar Ekegeats, he performs the ritual of sacrifice in the temple of the pagan goddess Anahit.

One of the king's associates, Gregory, being a Christian, refuses to sacrifice to an idol. Then Trdat learns that Gregory is the son of Anak, the murderer of Trdat's father, King Khosrov II. For these "crimes" Gregory is imprisoned in the Artashat dungeon, intended for suicide bombers. In the same year, the king issued two decrees: the first of them ordered the arrest of all Christians within the borders of Armenia with the confiscation of their property, and the second - to put to death the hiding Christians. These decrees show how dangerous Christianity was considered for the state.

The adoption of Christianity by Armenia is most closely associated with the martyrdom of the holy virgins of the Hripsimeans. According to Tradition, a group of Christian girls from Rome, hiding from the persecution of Emperor Diocletian, fled to the East. Having visited Jerusalem and bowed to the holy places, the virgins, passing through Edessa, reached the borders of Armenia and settled in the grape presses not far from Vagharshapat.

King Trdat, fascinated by the beauty of the virgin Hripsime, wished to take her as his wife, but met with desperate resistance. For disobedience, he ordered all the girls to be martyred. Hripsime and 32 friends died in the northeastern part of Vagharshapat, the teacher of the virgins Gayane, together with two virgins, in the southern part of the city, and one sick virgin was tortured right in the winepress.

The execution of the Hripsimian virgins took place in 300/301. She caused the king a strong mental shock, which led to a severe nervous illness. In the 5th century, people called this disease "pig", which is why the sculptors depicted Trdat with a pig's head. The king's sister Khosrovadukht repeatedly had a dream in which she was informed that only Gregory imprisoned in prison could heal Trdat. Gregory, who miraculously survived after spending 13 years in the stone pit of Khor Virap, was released from prison and solemnly received in Vagharshapat, and after 66 days of prayer and preaching the teachings of Christ, he healed the king.

King Trdat, together with the entire court, was baptized and proclaimed Christianity the "only and state religion" of the Armenian kingdom. And he made every effort to ensure that paganism could never be revived in the country. Unlike Osroene, where King Abgar (who, according to Armenian tradition, is considered an Armenian) was the first of the monarchs to adopt Christianity, making it the sovereign religion, in Armenia Christianity became a real and irrevocable state religion.

And that is why Armenia is considered the first Christian state in the world.

The new state religion had to have its own ministers. But the persecution of Trdat led to the actual destruction of the sacred hierarchy in Armenia. For consecration to the rank of bishop, St. Gregory the Illuminator solemnly went to Caesarea, where he was ordained by the Cappadocian bishops, headed by Leontius of Caesarea. Bishop Peter of Sebastia performed the ceremony of enthroning Gregory in Armenia to the episcopal throne. The ceremony took place not in the capital Vagharshapat, but in distant Ashtishat, where the main episcopal see of Armenia has long been located. Upon returning to Vagharshapat, Gregory the Illuminator set about building the cathedral.

According to Tradition, St. Gregory had a vision: the sky opened up, and a ray of light descended from it, preceded by a host of angels. In a ray of light, Christ descended from heaven and struck with a hammer at the Sandarametk underground pagan temple, symbolizing the powers of hell, indicating its destruction and the construction of a Christian church on this site. The temple was destroyed and covered up by King Trdat, and in its place a temple dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos was erected, which was a clear evidence of the victory of Christianity over paganism in Armenia. Thus, in 301, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church was founded - Holy Etchmiadzin, which in Armenian means “the Only Begotten descended”, i.e. Jesus Christ.

The newly converted Armenian state was forced to defend its religion from the Roman Empire. Eusebius of Caesarea testifies that Emperor Maximinus (305-313) declared war on the Armenians, those who “had long been friends and allies of Rome, moreover, zealous Christians, this theomachist tried to force to sacrifice to idols and demons and this made them enemies instead of friends and instead of allies - enemies ... He himself, together with his troops, suffered setbacks in the war with the Armenians ”(IX. 8,2,4). Maximin attacked Armenia in last days of his life, in 312/313. For 10 years, Christianity in Armenia has taken such deep roots that for their new faith, the Armenians took up arms against the strong Roman Empire.

At that time, Armenia was a feudal country. The head of state was the king, who at the same time was the owner of the central region of Ayrarat. The vassals of the king were nakharars (princes, feudal lords), who inherited their territories, or gavars, and had their own squad and their own throne in the royal palace, depending on their power. St. Gregory the Illuminator organized the hierarchy of the Armenian Church on the principle of the Armenian state administrative system. For each narration, he ordained a bishop.

These bishops were subordinate to the Bishop of Armenia, who soon became known as the Catholicos. Thus, the hierarchical structure of the Armenian Church was organized independently, based on local conditions and regardless of the processes that took place in the Churches of the Roman Empire, where in 325 at the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea the metropolitan system was established, and in 381, at the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, the patriarchal one.

At the time of St. Gregory of Christ's faith was adopted by the Alvanian and Georgian kings, respectively, making Christianity the state religion in Georgia and Caucasian Alvania. The local Churches, whose hierarchy originates from the Armenian Church, had their own Catholicoses, but who recognized the canonical authority of the Armenian First Hierarch. The mission of the Armenian Church was also directed to other regions of the Caucasus. Thus, the eldest son of Catholicos Vrtanes Grigoris set off to preach the Gospel to the country of the Mazkuts, where he later was martyred by order of King Sanesan Arshakuni in 337.

In 354, Catholicos Nerses convened a Council in Ashtishat, which went down in history as the First Armenian National Church Council. The Council decided to organize shelters for the poor, orphanages, hospitals, leper colonies and other charitable institutions in various regions of Armenia. Also at the Council, it was decided to found monasteries, including women's ones, and to open schools in them. The Council forbade burying the pagans who died according to custom - with weeping and screaming, tearing their clothes - because Christians believe in an afterlife. The marriage of close relatives was forbidden. It was recommended to stay away from drunkenness, depravity, murder, to treat servants mercifully, not to burden the people with heavy taxes, etc.

The issue of Arianism was discussed at the Ashtishat Council. It is known that this heresy was condemned at the First Ecumenical Council and the creed about the Divinity of Christ was approved. But, despite this, a few years later, various currents of Arianism spread in the Roman Empire, supported by state power. There were also Arians among the Armenian bishops. The Ashtishat Council once again condemned Arianism and reaffirmed its adherence to the Nicene Creed. Catholicos Nerses very successfully carried out the decisions of the First National Church Council, for which he was later called the Great.

Who was the first to accept Christianity

According to the dogmas of the Christian church itself, the first people who accepted Christianity were the Jews.

A little about religion

As a religion, it originated in the 1st century in the territory modern state Israel, which at that time was one of the provinces of the Western Roman Empire. By the 4th century, Christianity had spread throughout the entire territory of the empire, embracing most of modern Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and penetrated into the Transcaucasus. If we keep in mind who was the first to adopt Christianity at the level of the state religion, then it was Armenia, where this happened under Tsar Trdat III back in 301. As a comparison, in the Roman Empire, Christianity received the status of the state religion only in 382. The most important historical role in the adoption and spread of Christianity in Armenia was played by Gregory the Illuminator, who later became the high priests of this church - the Catholicos. In honor of him, unofficially, the Armenian Apostolic Church is also referred to in some sources as Gregorian.

Among all world religions, Christianity is the most numerous and geographically widespread teaching. Its largest movements are Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism.

Although the teachings of Christ are described in the New Testament, they are closely related to Old Testament Jewish beliefs. According to Holy Scriptures, Jesus was born a Jew, lived according to Jewish laws and observed all holidays. The first followers of Christ were also Jews living in Palestine and the Mediterranean (Jewish diaspora). Thanks to the work of the apostles, especially Peter, Christianity spread among other peoples who worshiped paganism. It is the vast geography and cultural influence The Roman Empire contributed to the wide dissemination of the new faith among a huge number of different peoples, up to the Balts and Finns. On other continents, the New World (America, Canada) and Australia, Christianity "got" thanks to missionaries and colonizers.

First Christian State

Despite the fact that the first Christians were Jews, in the territory of modern Israel, the teachings of Christ did not receive the status of a state religion, and for more than 300 years his followers were persecuted. The first state to declare Christianity as its official religion was Greater Armenia. It happened in 301 AD. during the reign of Tsar Trdat III the Great. Initially, Armenia was a pagan state, so for a long time the adherents of Christ and his preachers were persecuted. What was the impetus for the pagan king to accept Christianity? The king changed his mind about religion after he was cured of a serious illness by Gregory the Illuminator, who was imprisoned for spreading the new teaching. It was thanks to him that the king gained health and believed in Christ, creating the world's first Christian state, declaring Christianity his official religion, and Gregory the Illuminator became the first high priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The first Christians in Russia

Historians are still arguing who "brought" Christianity to Russian lands? Beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire, the new religion began to spread across European territory. The doctrine acquired particular activity in the German and Slavic lands, and in the XIII-XIV centuries. - penetrated the Finnish and Baltic territories.

Answering the question " Who converted to Christianity first on Russian lands?”, we can mention the statesmen of that time. Despite the fact that scientists are still arguing on this issue, it is traditionally believed that Ancient Russia was baptized Kyiv prince Vladimir. This happened, according to some sources, in 988, according to others - in 990. In addition, the fact of the adoption of Christianity is most often associated with Princess Olga, who was the grandmother of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich and adopted a new faith in Constantinople (Byzantium) - the cradle of Orthodoxy.

According to the Western European and Baltic chronicles, Christianity in Russia was adopted as a result of unsuccessful military campaigns against Constantinople led by the princes Askold and Dir 100 years before the traditional version of the baptism of Russia by Prince Vladimir (the period between 842 and 867). This is confirmed by the records of the Russian diocese made at the end of the 9th century.

Princess Olga - the first Russian Christian

Princess Olga - the first woman to rule Kievan Rus and converted to Christianity.

Despite the Christian mother, her son, Svyatoslav, was never baptized. The sacred work of Princess Olga was continued by her grandson, Prince of Kyiv Vladimir "Red Sun". It was during his reign that mass Christianization of the population began. Ancient Russia, which did not always go smoothly, was imposed by force and proceeded with repression. The process of "conversion to a new faith" of the peoples living on Russian lands took almost 9 centuries.

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    Baptism of Armenia

    Vladimir Akopdzhanov

    The year 301 is the official date of the declaration of Christianity as the state religion in Armenia. This date is historical, dry and, to some extent, conditional. It is impossible to consciously accept faith in one day or a year for a whole state, people. The adoption of Christianity in Armenia did not take place immediately: it did not last for years, but for centuries. The faith of Christ has become an integral part of the Armenian soul and determined the historical fate of the people. The process of preaching the Word of God had a number of key points, without highlighting which the essence of the adoption of Christianity by the Armenian people cannot be understood. So, first things first.

    According to Holy Tradition, the gospel in Armenia began in the middle of the first century by the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew (Tadeos and Bartuhimeos, in Armenian).

    It is this fact that explains that the Armenian Church is Apostolic. Unfortunately, another name is mistakenly used in Russia, which arose due to political misconceptions in the first half of the 19th century - “Armenian-Gregorian Church”.

    St. Apostle Thaddeus in the year 43 brought the Word of the Gospel to the borders of Greater Armenia, as well as the tip of the spear with which they pierced the crucified Lord. Many years of preaching the Gospel was crowned with the baptism of the people and the daughter of King Sanatruk Sandukht. In the year 66 the apostle was captured and executed in the region of Taron*. The work of the apostle was continued by five Greeks who were baptized by him in Armenia, whose leader, Chrysus, was ordained a priest. They founded a small monastery at the source of the Euphrates and were known under the name of Voskyants (the name "Khryz" in Greek means "gold" and sounds in Armenian "waxes"). The Voskians preached at the court, where they managed to baptize 19 Alan** nobles from the queen’s relatives and attract the attention of the king for some time, but, in the end, they were executed. The newly converted Alanian nobles, also named after their leader Sukias, left the court and settled in the mountains of the Bagrevand region. The Alanian king found and brutally executed the Sukiasyans.

    St. app. Bartholomew in the year 60 began preaching in the Armenian land. He founded the first convent in Armenia, where he deposited the image of the Virgin, which he brought with him. The desert was named Ogevank - "Spirits Monastery". By the time of his execution in the year 68, the apostle had more than 2,000 followers, including the princess Vogui and the thousandth Terence, who was sent to persuade the princess to renounce, but who himself accepted Christ.

    The cultural life of Armenia was also influenced by its neighbors: Osroene, Cappadocia, Adiebena, where Christianity became widespread. A positive role in the spread of the Gospel was also played by the presence of a large number of Jewish colonies in Armenia, in which, as is known, the Word of God was originally preached.

    The apostles created the first church communities, and the people began to partake of the true faith, but this was only the preparation of the font, and not the baptism itself. For the first centuries, the persecuted church of Armenia, which had not yet completely entered the heart of the Armenian people, was inspired by the deeds of many nameless martyrs and confessors, placing the heart of the nation to the Lord. Therefore, when in 301 Tsar Trdat and St. Gregory declared the holy faith of Christ the state religion in Armenia, a significant part of the Armenians had already been trained.

    The history connected with the christening of Armenia is as follows. Father of St. Grigor, Prince Anak Suren-Pahlav participated in the assassination attempt on King Khosrov I. After the assassination of the king, the conspirators tried to escape, but were captured and executed. Only the juvenile Grigor escaped death, who was taken away by the nurse to a foreign land, where he received Christian upbringing. Growing up, St. Grigor returned to Armenia and entered the service of Khosrov's son Trdat to atone for his father's guilt. On the day of his accession, Trdat learned that Grigor not only refused to bow to the idol, but was also the son of Prince Anak. This was followed by his immediate imprisonment in the Khor Virap prison pit.

    After 14 years, Trdat fell into madness as punishment for the execution of the maidens Hripsime, Gayane and their companions. These virgins fled from pagan Rome to the east and found shelter in Armenia, where they established a convent in Vagharshapat and devoted their lives to the Lord. Trdat, once seeing Hripsime, was fascinated by her beauty and desired to take her as his wife. Not having received consent, the king sentenced all the virgins to a cruel execution. Whether Providence or conscience forced the king to suffer cruelly, to the point of madness. At this time, the king’s sister constantly saw in dreams that Trdat could be cured by St. Grigor. The saint was released from prison, and laying hands on the mad king healed him. Repentant and believing in Christ, Trdat declared Christianity the religion of Armenia in 301.

    St. Gregory went to Cappadocia, where Bishop. Leontius of Caesarea ordained him a bishop. St. Gregory returned to his homeland together with Bishop. Peter of Sebastsky, who was to conduct the enthronement ceremony. This ceremony took place not in the capital, but in the city of Ashtishat, because. it was here that since the time of the apostles there was the episcopal chair of the catacomb Armenian church. St. Gregory began a wide preaching and organizational activity. Where Jesus appeared to the saint and pointed with a golden hammer to the place where St. Altar, erected the Cathedral of St. Echmiadzin (Echmiadzin - in Armenian, “the Only Begotten descended”). St. Gregory created a system of dioceses in accordance with local conditions before starting a similar process in the territory of the Roman Empire, which explains some of the differences and features.

    A new problem arose in the way of Christianity. The Urartian-Armenian cuneiform was not used for a long time, and there was no new alphabet, and the Greek or Syriac alphabets were used in Armenia. In a foreign language, you can write laws, carry on correspondence, but not talk about love, about love for God. Not everyone was clear about the divine services, the songs of the Psalmist, the lamentations of Jeremiah, the denunciations of Isaiah, and the parables of the Savior written on foreign languages, although passages were translated orally into Armenian for the common people.

    In order for the faith to be accepted by the soul and mind of the nation, it was necessary that St.

    Scripture was preached mother tongue. Many Armenian church fathers made attempts to create an alphabet. Archimandrite Mesrop Mashtots was also deeply aware of this problem. After long labors and tireless prayers, by the grace of God, St. Mesrop in a vision of 36 sacred signs - 36 letters of the Armenian alphabet. 36 angels have since become the guardians of the Armenian people, their soul, their culture. In 405, the first sentence translated into Armenian was: "Know wisdom and instruction, understand the saying of reason." King Vramshapuh and Catholicos St. Sahak made every effort to strengthen the received God's gift in Armenia. Schools were opened best students sent to Byzantium, Athens, Alexandria - this is how the Golden Age of Armenian culture began. By the way, there is no word for the Bible in the Armenian language, but Astvatsashunch is God-inspired.

    Armenia, taken from the waters of the font, had to prove its loyalty to the Lord. In the 5th century, the Armenian land was under the rule of the Persians. The power-hungry Persian king Yezigerd II decided to convert the Armenians to his religion, Mazdeism, and ordered "that no one dare to call himself a Christian, otherwise he will be judged by sword and fire." The Armenians asked for help from fellow Greeks - in vain. Byzantium, in the heat of philosophical disputes, did not extend a helping hand, but promised the Persians not to give the Armenians either weapons or troops. A number of noble Armenian princes, after Yezigerd's gifts and threats, went over to the camp of the enemy. The Armenians did not have a king, as it turned out, they did not have friends either. But there was faith, and the Armenian land testified before the heavens and the peoples about it. The conciliar answer to the Persians was unequivocal: it is impossible for an Armenian to change his faith, because, like skin, it adheres to the body. “Neither angels, nor people, nor sword, nor fire” were able to force the Armenian to renounce Christ. Prince Vardan Mamikonyan led the people to defend the faith. In 451, two armies met on the Avaray field. Although the army of the Persians outnumbered the Armenians and the renegades joined it, it was not possible to break the faith. Vardan fell, the patriarch-Catholicos Hovsep was executed, thousands of soldiers, plowmen, priests fell from fire and torture, but the faith remained. After a 30-year war, Jezigerd abandoned his plan, he was beyond his power.

    Like the books of Maccabees, recognized by Christians as deuterocanonical, the Armenians have the Golden Book, where the chronicler Egishe told about the Battle of Avaray, about the strength of the spirit and the strength of faith, about what the Armenians call in one word - Vardanank.

    At the end of the story about the baptism of Armenia, I would like to emphasize that, only by combining the sermon of St. apostles with the work of St. Gregory, with the alphabet of St. Mashtots and Vardanank, one can understand that there is the baptism of Armenia and Christianity for the Armenian. True, conscious, water and Spirit baptism, which does not take place in one day or year, but generates faith once and until the end of time.

    Keep, O Lord, the throne of Etchmiadzin, created by You, unshakable.

    ———————————————————————————

    * The tip of the spear brought by St. app. Faddem, as well as the relics of the apostle, are kept in St. Echmiadzin. With a spear, the Catholicos of All Armenians consecrates the Holy Myrrh (a specially prepared composition of fragrant substances and oil) during the chrismation.

    ** Alans are Iranian-speaking tribes of Sarmatian origin. From the 1st century they lived in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and Ciscaucasia. Part of the Alans participated in the Great Migration of Nations. Caucasian Alans (in Russian, Yases) are the ancestors of the Ossetians.

    The Armenian Church is considered one of the most ancient Christian communities. Its origins date back to the 4th century. It is Armenia that is the first country where Christianity was recognized as a state. But millennia have passed, and now the contradictions and differences that the Russian and Armenian apostolic churches have are already visible. The difference from the Orthodox Church began to appear in the 6th century.

    The separation of the Apostolic Armenian Church took place due to the following circumstances. In Christianity, a new branch suddenly arose, which was attributed to heresy - Monophysitism. Supporters of this trend considered Jesus Christ. They denied the combination of the divine and the human in it. But at the 4th Council of Chalcedon, Monophysitism was recognized as a false trend. Since then, the Apostolic Armenian Church has found itself alone, as it still looks at the origin of Christ differently from ordinary Orthodox Christians.

    Main differences

    The Russian Orthodox Church respects the Armenian Apostolic Church, but does not allow many of its aspects.

    The Russian Orthodox Church considers the Armenian confession, therefore, people of this faith cannot be buried according to Orthodox customs, perform all the sacraments that Russian Christian Orthodoxy conducts, you cannot simply commemorate and pray for them. If suddenly Orthodox person attends a service in the Armenian Apostolic Church - this is the reason for his excommunication from.

    Some Armenians visit temples in turn. Today is Apostolic Armenian, the next day Christian. You can’t do this, you should decide on your faith and adhere to only one doctrine.

    Despite the contradictions, the Armenian Church forms faith and unity in its students, treats other religious movements with patience and respect. These are the aspects of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Its difference from the Orthodox is visible and tangible. But each person himself has the right to choose for whom he prays and what faith to adhere to.

    In 301, Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. For many centuries there has been no church unity between us, but this does not interfere with the existence of good neighborly relations. At the meeting held on March 12 with the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Russia O.E. Yesayan, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted: “Our relations go back centuries... The closeness of our spiritual ideals, a single moral and spiritual system of values ​​in which our peoples live, are a fundamental component of our relations.”

    Readers of our portal often ask the question: “What is the difference between Orthodoxy and Armenian Christianity”?

    Archpriest Oleg Davydenkov,d Doctor of Theology, Head of the Department of Eastern Christian Philology and Eastern Churches of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Theological University answers the questions of the portal “Orthodoxy and World” about the pre-Chalcedonian churches, one of which is Armenian church.

    – Father Oleg, before talking about the Armenian direction of Monophysitism, tell us about what Monophysitism is and how it arose?

    – Monophysitism is a Christological doctrine, the essence of which is that in the Lord Jesus Christ there is only one nature, and not two, as the Orthodox Church teaches. Historically, it appeared as an extreme reaction to the heresy of Nestorianism and had not only dogmatic but also political reasons.

    Orthodox Church confesses in Christ one person (hypostasis) and two natures - divine and human. Nestorianism teaches about two persons, two hypostases and two natures. M onophysite but they have fallen into the opposite extreme: in Christ they recognize one person, one hypostasis, and one nature. From a canonical point of view, the difference between the Orthodox Church and the Monophysite churches lies in the fact that the latter do not recognize Ecumenical Councils, starting with the IV of Chalcedon, who adopted the definition of faith (oros) about two natures in Christ, which converge into one person and into one hypostasis.

    The name "Monophysites" was given by Orthodox Christians to the opponents of Chalcedon (they call themselves Orthodox). Systematically, the Monophysite Christological doctrine was formed in the 6th century, thanks primarily to the work of Severus of Antioch (+ 538).

    Modern non-Chalcedonites are trying to modify their teaching, they argue that their fathers are accused of Monophysitism unfairly, since they anathematized Eutychus 1, but this is a change in style that does not affect the essence of the Monophysite dogma. The works of their contemporary theologians testify that there are no fundamental changes in their doctrine, significant differences between the Monophysite Christology of the 6th century. and no modern. Back in the VI century. the doctrine of the “single complex nature of Christ” appears, which was composed of deity and humanity and possesses the properties of both natures. However, this does not imply the recognition in Christ of two perfect natures - the nature of the divine and the nature of man. In addition, Monophysitism is almost always accompanied by a Monophilite and Monoenergetic position, i.e. the teaching that in Christ there is only one will and one action, one source of activity, which is the deity, and humanity turns out to be its passive instrument.

    – Does the Armenian direction of Monophysitism differ from its other types?

    - Yes, it is different. There are currently six non-Chalcedonian churches (or seven, if the Armenian Etchmiadzin and Cilician Catholicosates are considered as two, de facto autocephalous churches). The ancient Eastern churches can be divided into three groups:

    1) Syro-Jacobites, Copts and Malabars (Malankara Church of India). This is the monophysitism of the Severian tradition, which is based on the theology of Severus of Antioch.

    2) Armenians (Etchmiadzin and Cilicia Catholicasates).

    3) Ethiopians (Ethiopian and Eritrean churches).

    The Armenian Church in the past differed from other non-Chalcedonian churches, even Sever of Antioch was anathematized by the Armenians in the 6th century. at one of the Dvina cathedrals as an insufficiently consistent Monophysite. The theology of the Armenian Church was significantly influenced by Aphthartodoketism (the doctrine of the incorruptibility of the body of Jesus Christ from the moment of the Incarnation). The emergence of this radical Monophysite doctrine is associated with the name of Julian of Halicarnassus, one of the main opponents of Severus within the Monophysite camp.

    At present, all the Monophysites, as the theological dialogue shows, act from more or less the same dogmatic positions: this is a Christology close to the Christology of Severus.

    Speaking about the Armenians, it should be noted that the consciousness of the modern Armenian Church is characterized by pronounced adogmatism. If other non-Chalcedonites of the church show considerable interest in their theological heritage and are open to Christological discussion, the Armenians, on the contrary, are little interested in their own Christological tradition. At present, interest in the history of Armenian Christological thought is rather shown by some Armenians who consciously converted from the Armenian-Gregorian Church to Orthodoxy, both in Armenia itself and in Russia.

    – Is there a theological dialogue with the pre-Chalcedonian churches now?

    - Conducted with varying degrees of success. The result of such a dialogue between Orthodox Christians and the Ancient Eastern (Pre-Chalcedonian) churches was the so-called Chambesian agreements. One of the main documents is the Chambesian Agreement of 1993, which contains an agreed text of the Christological teaching, and also contains a mechanism for restoring communion between the "two families" of Churches through the ratification of agreements by the synods of these Churches.

    The Christological teaching of these conventions aims to find a compromise between the Orthodox and Ancient Eastern churches on the basis of a theological position that could be characterized as "moderate Monophysitism". They contain ambiguous theological formulas that allow for a Monophysite interpretation. Therefore, the reaction in Orthodox world on them is not unambiguous: four Orthodox Churches accepted them, some accepted with reservations, and some are fundamentally against these agreements.

    The Russian Orthodox Church has also recognized that these agreements are not sufficient to restore Eucharistic communion, as they contain ambiguities in the Christological teaching. Further work is required to eliminate ambiguous interpretations. For example, the teaching of the Covenants about wills and actions in Christ can be understood both diphysite (Orthodox) and monophysite. It all depends on how the reader understands the relationship between will and hypostasis. Is the will considered as an attribute of nature, as in Orthodox theology, or is it assimilated into a hypostasis, which is characteristic of Monophysitism. The Second Agreed Statement of 1990, which forms the basis of the 1993 Chambesia Accords, does not provide an answer to this question.

    A dogmatic dialogue with the Armenians today is hardly possible at all, due to their lack of interest in problems of a dogmatic nature. After the mid 90s. it became clear that the dialogue with the non-Chalcedonites had reached a dead end, the Russian Orthodox Church began bilateral dialogues - not with all the non-Chalcedonian Churches together, but with each one separately. As a result, three directions for bilateral dialogues were identified: 1) with the Syrian Jacobites, Copts and the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, who agreed to conduct a dialogue only in such a composition; 2) Etchmiadzin Catholicosate and 3) with the Ethiopian Church (this direction has not been developed). The dialogue with the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin did not touch upon dogmatic issues. The Armenian side is ready to discuss issues of social service, pastoral practice, various problems of social and church life, but shows no interest in discussing dogmatic issues.

    – How are Monophysites today accepted in Orthodox Church?

    - Through repentance. Priests are received in their existing rank. This is an ancient practice, and this is how non-Chalcedonites were received in the era of the Ecumenical Councils.

    Alexander Filippov spoke with Archpriest Oleg Davydenkov.