The religion of Armenia is very diverse. It includes Christianity, Islam, Yazidism and Frengi. The majority of Armenians are believers. It is believed that the most widespread religion is Christianity.
Christianity in Armenia
About 94% of the total population preach Christianity and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. This 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 Heavenly King and his son Christ became state religion countries. 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 Church, which significantly influenced the further history of the state, its political and social activities.
Catholicism in Armenia
But Christianity is not the only one whose adherents live in Armenia. There are Armenian Catholics (there are about 36 parishes in total), which are called “Franks”. Franks (or Frengs) live in Northern Armenia. Initially they appeared together with the crusaders, but later, in the 16th-19th centuries, they began to be called Franks. Frankish Armenians are divided into three groups:
- HBO-francs,
- has-franks,
- Mshetsi-Franks.
The division of Catholics is not connected with the peculiarities of religious views, it is connected with the place of residence of adherents of a given faith.
Islam in Armenia
Now in Yerevan, in the Repository of Ancient Manuscripts named after Mashtots, more than 20 thousand handwritten texts are stored, which Mashtots himself began to collect. This collection of manuscripts is of great historical and cultural value for the peoples of the whole world.
Spread of the Armenian Church
In the Promised Land, that is, on the territory of modern Israel, over seventy Armenian churches were built already from the sixth century, and in 638 the Armenian Patriarchate was founded, which united and became the head of all Eastern Orthodox dioceses. These are the Ethiopian, Syrian and Coptic dioceses.
For almost two thousand years, a miracle has happened every year - the convergence Holy Fire which takes place on the eve of Easter in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. From among the bishops of the Armenian Gregorian Holy Apostolic Church, a clergyman is annually elected who will be entrusted with receiving the Holy Fire.
The Armenian Church is considered one of the most ancient Christian communities. Its origins begin in the 4th century. Armenia is the first country where Christianity was recognized by the state. But millennia have passed, and now the contradictions and differences that the Russian and Armenian Apostolic Church have are already visible. The difference from the Orthodox Church began to appear in the 6th century.
The separation of the Apostolic Armenian Church occurred due to the following circumstances. A new branch suddenly arose in Christianity, which was classified as heresy - Monophysitism. Supporters of this movement considered Jesus Christ. They denied the combination of the divine and the human in him. But at the 4th Council of Chalcedon, Monophysitism was recognized as a false movement. Since then, the Apostolic Armenian Church has found itself alone, since 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 tolerate many of its aspects.
The Russian Orthodox Church considers the Armenian denomination, therefore people of this faith cannot be buried according to Orthodox customs, perform all the sacraments that Russian Christian Orthodoxy conducts, you cannot simply remember and pray for them. If suddenly Orthodox man will attend a service in the Armenian Apostolic Church - this is a reason for his excommunication.
Some Armenians take turns visiting temples. Today it is apostolic Armenian, the next day it is Christian. This cannot be done; you must decide on your faith and adhere to only one teaching.
Despite the contradictions, the Armenian Church forms faith and unity in its students, and 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 has the right to choose for whom to pray and what faith to adhere to.
Armenian Apostolic Church- very ancient church, which has a number of features. There are many myths circulating around Russia about its essence. 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”. But the truth is that there are three types of Armenian Christians: Gregorians, Chalcedonians and Catholics.
WITH Catholics everything is simple: these are the Armenians who lived in the Ottoman Empire and who were converted to Catholicism by European missionaries. Many Catholic Armenians later moved to Georgia and now inhabit the regions of Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe. In Armenia itself they are few in number and live somewhere in the far north of the country.
WITH Chalcedonians It’s already more difficult. These include both Catholic Armenians and Orthodox Armenians. Historically, these are those Armenians who lived on the territory of Byzantium and recognized the Council of Chalcedon, that is, they were classical Orthodox. There were many Chalcedonians in the west of Armenia, where they built almost all the ancient churches. Several Chalcedonian temples are located in Northern Armenia. Over time, these people converted to Catholicism (which is essentially also Chalcedonianism) and almost disappeared from the face of the earth.
The Armenian Gregorians remain. This is a somewhat arbitrary term introduced for convenience. Let's talk about them in detail.
Armenian Christianity before 505
In the first centuries of our era, paganism reminiscent of Iranian was widespread in Armenia. They say that the conical domes of Armenian and Georgian churches are the legacy of that era. Christianity began to penetrate into Armenia very early, although it is not known exactly when and in what ways. At the end of the 3rd century, it was already considered a problem and was persecuted, but a man named Gregory managed to save King Trdat III from illness, for which he legalized Christianity, and Gregory the Illuminator became the first bishop of Armenia. This happened either in 301 or 314. It is generally believed that Armenia became the first state with the Christian religion as a state religion, although there is a suspicion that the state of Osroene was 100 years ahead of Armenia.
Ruins of the temple of Surb Harutyun (Resurrection), founded by Gregory the Illuminator in 305
In 313, an edict on freedom of faith in the Roman Empire was issued, in 325 the kingdom of Aksum adopted Christianity, in 337 - Iberia, in 380 Christianity was declared the state religion in Rome. Somewhere simultaneously with Iberia, Caucasian Albania adopted Christianity - directly from Gregory the Illuminator.
In 354, the first church council ("Ashtishat") was convened, which condemned the Arian heresy and decided to create monasteries in Armenia. (I wonder why there were no monasteries in Georgia at that time)
Thus, for the first 200 years of its existence, the Armenian Church was an ordinary Orthodox Church and the center of Christianization of Transcaucasia. Iran from time to time tried to return Armenia to Zoroastrianism and organized “peace enforcement operations,” and in 448, in the form of an ultimatum, it demanded to renounce Christianity. The Armenian reaction was so negative that in 451 Shah Yezigerd withdrew his demand, but there was no calm. In 451, Armenia lost the Battle of Avaray and the country plunged into chaos for almost half a century. When relative calm came, it turned out that much had already changed in the Christian world.
Monophysitism and Nestrianism
While Armenia was at war with the Persians, a problem arose in Byzantium, known in science as the “Christological controversy.” The question of the relationship between the human and the divine in Christ was being resolved. The question was: by whose suffering exactly was humanity saved? The suffering of the Divine or the suffering of Humanity? Supporters of Patriarch Nestorius (Nestorians) reasoned like this: God cannot be born, suffer and die, therefore man suffered and died on the cross, and the divine essence remained separate in him.
This version immediately had many opponents, who, however, went to the other extreme: they declared that Jesus was only God, and there was no human essence in him at all. This thesis about the single nature (mono-physis) of Christ began to be called monophysitism.
Any heresy is harmless while it exists in the form of abstract philosophy, but it is bad when consequences are drawn from it. From Monophysitism grew all of late totalitarianism, fascism, dictatorships and tyranny - that is, the philosophy of the superiority of the state over the personal. Islam is also monophysics in its purest form.
In 449, the Council of Ephesus dealt with Nestorianism, declaring Monophysitism the correct teaching. A few years later, the mistake was realized and in 451 the Council of Chalcedon was convened, which formulated a doctrine about the essence of Christ that would not deviate to the extremes of Nestorianism or Monophysitism. Orthodoxy is always a teaching about the middle. Extremes are more easily accepted by the brain and this is the reason for the success of all heresies.
And everything was going well, but the national factor intervened. Monophysitism was liked by the peoples of the Byzantine Empire as a “religion of opposition.” It quickly spread throughout all non-Greek areas: Egypt, Syria and Palestine. At the same time, Nestorianism spread to Persia and went further east to China, where the Nestorians built a church near Xi'an.
The split turned out to be deep and serious. Emperor Zeno, an immoral and not very thinking man, decided to simply reconcile everyone with everyone, abandoning the decision of the Council of Chalcedon, but not directly condemning it. The emperor outlined all this in a document known as the Henotikon of Zeno of 482.
When Armenia came to its senses a little after the Persian defeat, it had to somehow navigate the theological chaos. The Armenians acted simply: they chose the faith that Byzantium adhered to, and Byzantium in those years adhered to Zeno’s enoticon, that is, in fact, Monphysitism. In 40 years, Byzantium will abandon the enoticon, and in Armenia this philosophy will take root for centuries. Those Armenians who find themselves under the control of Byzantium will remain Orthodox - that is, “Chalcedonites”.
In 491, a council of churches of Transcaucasia (Vagharshapar Council) met, which rejected the decrees of the Council of Chalcedon as too similar to Nestorianism.
Dvina Cathedrals
In 505, the First Dvina Council of Transcaucasia met. The Council once again condemned Nestorianism and adopted the document “Epistle on Faith,” which has not survived to this day. In this document, the churches of Armenia, Georgia and Albania condemned Nestorianism and extreme Monophysitism, recognizing moderate Monophysitism as the basis of their faith.
On March 29, 554, the Second Dvina Council met, which developed an attitude towards aphthartodocetism (Julianism)- to the doctrine of the incorruptibility of the body of Christ during his life. In 564, Emperor Justinian the Great tried to implement the same idea, but the Byzantine hierarchs opposed it. In Armenia, however, this Monophysite principle was nevertheless recognized. This was already very radical Monophysitism, and over time Armenia abandoned Julianism.
At the same council, it was decided to introduce into the prayer “Holy God, Mighty Holy One...” the addition “... crucified for us.”
Around 590, the Chalcedonian Avan Catholicosate was formed on part of the territory of Armenia. It did not last long and was soon liquidated by the Persians, but its trace remained in the form of the interesting Avan Cathedral.
In 609 - 610, the Third Dvina Council met. Georgia at this moment was gradually returning back to Orthodoxy, and the Armenian church condemned these efforts. At the council, it was decided to interrupt communication with the Georgian church, not to go to Georgian churches and not to allow Georgians to take communion. So in 610 the paths of the Georgian and Armenian churches finally diverged.
What happened next
So, the Armenian Church remained in relative solitude - its like-minded people remained the Church of Caucasian Albania and the small Kakheti state of Hereti. A strange thing happened in Armenia itself: from 630 to 660, its Catholicoses were the Chalcedonites Ezra and Nerses. It was under them that many were built famous temples- Gayane Temple, Zvartnots and (in the region). It was Nerses who rebuilt the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, built in 618, so it is possible that such a strange statement is made that this cathedral was built by the Orthodox.
To the credit of the Armenian Church, it must be said that it gradually drifted from extreme Monophysitism to moderate, then to even more moderate. The Council of Manazkert in 726 condemned Julianism and this radical Monophysite teaching was finally rejected. A unification with the Greek Church almost happened, but the Arab invasion prevented it. Gradually, the AAC became very close to Orthodoxy, but still did not take the last step and remained a non-Orthodox church. Subsequently, from time to time there were attempts at rapprochement with Byzantium, but each time they ended in failure.
Surprisingly, Armenia avoided Islamization and Armenian Christian Monophysites did not turn into Muslims, like many Monophysites in Palestine and Syria. Monophysitism is so close to Islam in spirit that the transformation occurs almost painlessly, but the Armenians avoided such a transformation.
In 1118 - 1199, Armenia gradually, piecemeal, became part of the Georgian kingdom. This process had two consequences. First: many Chalcedonian monasteries appear in Northern Armenia. Second: massive temple construction begins. More than half of all Armenian monasteries were built during this period - from the end of the 12th to the end of the 13th century. For example, the buildings of the Goshvank monastery were erected in 1191 - 1291, in the Haghpat monastery the main temple was built in the 10th century, and the remaining 6 buildings in the 13th century. And so on. The relationship between the Georgian and Armenian churches during this period remains not entirely clear. For example, how was being part of the Georgian kingdom combined with the decisions of the Dvina Council to stop communication between churches.
In 1802 - 1828, the territory of Armenia became part of the Russian Empire and this time the Armenian church was lucky. She was considered weak and in need of support, so she did not suffer the fate of the Georgian church, which practically ceased to exist as a result of the abolition of aufokephaly. They tried to confiscate church property in 1905, but this caused violent protests and the confiscations were stopped.
What now
Now in Orthodoxy it is customary to perceive Monophysitism as a teaching that has several gradations - from radical to liberal. The Armenian Church is classified as the latter - in it Monophysitism is weakly expressed, but still expressed. In turn, the AAC considers only radical monophysitism (the teachings of Eutyches and Julian), to which it really does not belong. AC calls his teaching “miaphysitism.” If you call the Armenian religion Monophysite, then the Armenians will decide that they are accused of Eutychianism and will protest violently.
According to the teachings of Orthodoxy, Christ had one hypostasis and two natures.
According to the teachings of miaphysitism, Christ had one hypostasis and one “divine-human” nature.
The reason for the disagreement is that Orthodox theology allows for many natures in one hypostasis, while Miaphysite theology believes that one hypostasis can have only one nature. So this is a very complex debate about the properties of hypostasis, the understanding of which requires some philosophical preparation.
In addition, Orthodox theologians do not really understand what a “theanthropic period” is. This is the main question of this discussion - can a divine-human nature exist in principle? Try to figure out for yourself who is right and who is wrong in this dispute. Maybe you can imagine a “single divine-human nature.” I can't do it yet.
The teachings of the AAC fall under the anathemas of the Ecumenical Councils, and the teachings of the Orthodox Church fall under the anathemas of the Dvina Councils. This situation is somewhat painfully perceived by the Armenian consciousness, and even in glossy brochures for tourists I have encountered not very clear justifications for the Armenian faith. It sounded like this: we are considered - what a horror - Monophysites, but we are, in essence, good guys.
Material culture of the Armenian Church
There are many temples and monasteries in Armenia that are architecturally similar to Georgian ones, although the Armenian ones are in many cases larger. The domes of the temples have the same conical shape as the Georgian ones - this is considered a heritage of Zoroastrianism. Frescoes in temples are unpopular. If you see these, then there is a high probability that this is a Chalcedonian temple (for example, Akhtala). Contrary to popular belief, Armenia does not recognize iconoclasm. There are icons in Armenian churches, but in very modest quantities. But in Armenia it is customary to cover walls with inscriptions. Here in the temples there is always great amount texts - on every wall and on every stone. Armenian churches are the most “talking” temples in the world, competing in this parameter with Chinese ones. There is also a fashion to carve crosses on the walls of churches.
| Elements of church material culture | ||||
 |  |  | gavites. This is a very strange design and it can only be found here. Application. Since any Christian movement is based on the Creed, here is the Armenian one for general erudition. Հավատում ենք մեկ Աստծո` ամենակալ Հորը, երկնքի և երկրի, երևելիների և աներևույթների Արարչին: Եւ մեկ Տիրոջ` Հիսուս Քրիստոսին, Աստծո Որդուն, ծնված Հայր Աստծուց Միածին, այսինքն` Հոր էությունից: Աստված` Աստծուց, լույս` լույսից, ճշմարիտ Աստված` ճշմարիտ Աստծուց, ծնունդ և ոչ թե` արարած: Նույն ինքը` Հոր բնությունից, որի միջոցով ստեղծվեց ամեն ինչ երկնքում և երկրի վրա` երևելիներն ու անևերույթները: Որ հանուն մեզ` մարդկանց ու մեր փրկության համար` իջավ երկնքից, մարմնացավ, մարդացավ, ծնվեց կատարելապես Ս. Կույս Մարիամից Ս. Հոգով: Որով` ճշմարտապես, և ոչ կարծեցյալ կերպով առավ մարմին, հոգի և միտք և այն ամենը, որ կա մարդու մեջ: Չարչարվեց, խաչվեց, թաղվեց, երրորդ օրը Հարություն առավ, նույն մարմնով բարձրացավ երկինք, նստեց Հոր աջ կողմում: Գալու է նույն մարմնով և Հոր փառքով` դատելու ողջերին և մահացածներին: Նրա թագավորությունը չունի վախճան: Հավատում ենք նաև Սուրբ Հոգուն` անեղ և կատարյալ, որը խոսեց Օրենքի, մարգարեների և ավետարանների միջոցով: Որն իջավ Հորդանանի վրա, քարոզեց առաքյալների միջոցով և բնակություն հաստատեց սրբերի մեջ: Հավատում ենք նաև մեկ, ընդհանրական և առաքելական եկեղեցու, մի մկրտության, ապաշխարության, մեղքերի քավության և թողության: Մեռելների հարության, հոգիների և մարմինների հավիտենական դատաստանի, երկնքի արքայության և հավիտենական կյանքի
We believe in one God the Father, Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, visible and invisible to all. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the Father, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one being with the Father, through whom all things were created; For us people and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, became incarnate, became a man, born of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit, from whom he received body, soul and consciousness, and everything that is in man is true, and not only in appearance. suffered, was crucified, was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven in the same body and sat on right hand Father. And he who comes in the same body and in the glory of the Father will judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, uncreated and perfect, who spoke in the Law, the Prophets and the Gospels, who descended at the Jordan, who preached through the apostles and who lives in the saints. We believe in the One, Ecumenical, Apostolic and Holy Church, in one baptism of repentance, in forgiveness and remission of sins, in the resurrection of the dead, in eternal judgment of bodies and souls, in the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life. | |
The history of Armenian culture dates back to ancient times. Traditions, way of life, religion are dictated by the religious views of Armenians. In the article we will consider the questions: what kind of faith do the Armenians have, why did the Armenians accept Christianity, about the baptism of Armenia, in what year did the Armenians accept Christianity, about the difference between the Gregorian and Orthodox churches.
Adoption of Christianity by Armenia in 301
The religion of the Armenians originated in the 1st century AD, when the founders of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), Thaddeus and Bartholomew, preached in Armenia. Already in the 4th century, in 301, Christianity became the official religion of the Armenians. This was started by King Trdat III. He came to rule the royal throne of Armenia in 287.
Initially, Trdat was not favorable to Christianity and persecuted believers. He imprisoned Saint Gregory for 13 years. However, strong faith Armenian people won. One day the king lost his mind and was healed thanks to the prayers of Gregory, a saint preaching Orthodoxy. After this, Trdat believed, was baptized and made Armenia the first Christian state in the world.
Armenians - Catholics or Orthodox - today make up 98% of the country's population. Of these, 90% are representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church, 7% are representatives of the Armenian Catholic Church.
The Armenian Apostolic Church is independent of the Orthodox and Catholic churches
The Armenian Apostolic Church stood at the origins of the emergence of Christianity among the Armenian people. It belongs to the oldest Christian churches. Its founders are considered to be the preachers of Christianity in Armenia - the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. The dogmas of the AAC differ significantly from Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The Armenian Church is autonomous from the Orthodox and Catholic churches. And this is hers main feature. The word apostolic in the name refers us to the origins of the church and indicates that Christianity in Armenia became the first state religion.
The AAC keeps chronology according to Gregorian calendar. However, she does not deny the Julian calendar.
During times of lack of political governance, the Gregorian Church took over the functions of government. In this regard, the role of the Catholicosate in Etchmiadzin became dominant for a long time. For several centuries in a row, it was considered the main center of power and control.
IN modern times The Catholicosate of All Armenians operates in Etchmidizian and the Cilician Catholicosate in Antilias.
Catholicos - bishop in the AAC
Catholicos is a related concept to the word bishop. The title of the highest rank in the AAC.
The Catholicos of All Armenians includes the dioceses of Armenia, Russia, and Ukraine. The Cilician Catholicos includes the dioceses of Syria, Cyprus and Lebanon.
Traditions and rituals of the AAC
Matah - offering in gratitude to God
One of the most important rituals of the AAC is the matah or treat, a charity dinner. Some people confuse this ritual with animal sacrifice. The meaning is to give alms to the poor, which is an offering to God. Matah is performed as a thanksgiving to God for the successful end of some event (recovery loved one) or as a request for something.
To perform matakh, livestock (bull, sheep) or poultry are slaughtered. The meat is used to make broth with salt, which has been consecrated in advance. Under no circumstances should the meat remain uneaten until the next day. Therefore, it is divided and distributed.
Forward post
This post precedes Lent. Advanced fasting begins 3 weeks before the Great Fast and lasts 5 days - from Monday to Friday. Its observance is historically determined by the fast of St. Gregory. This helped the apostle to cleanse himself and heal King Trdat with prayers.
Communion
Unleavened bread is used during communion, however, there is no fundamental difference between unleavened and leavened. Wine is not diluted with water.
The Armenian priest dips the bread (previously consecrated) into wine, breaks it and gives it to those who wish to receive communion to taste.
Sign of the Cross
Performed with three fingers from left to right.
How does the Gregorian Church differ from the Orthodox Church?
Monophysitism - recognition of the one nature of God
For a long time, the differences between the Armenian and Orthodox churches were not noticeable. Around the 6th century, differences became noticeable. Speaking about the division of the Armenian and Orthodox churches, we should remember the emergence of Monophysitism.
This is a branch of Christianity, according to which the nature of Jesus is not dual, and he does not have a corporeal shell, like a man. Monophysites recognize one nature in Jesus. Thus, at the 4th Council of Chalcedon, a split occurred between the Gregorian Church and the Orthodox Church. The Armenian Monophysites were recognized as heretics.
Differences between the Gregorian and Orthodox churches
- The Armenian Church does not recognize the flesh of Christ, its representatives are convinced that his body is ether. The main difference lies in the reason for the separation of the AAC from Orthodoxy.
- Icons. In Gregorian churches there is not an abundance of icons, as in Orthodox churches. Only in some churches there is a small iconostasis in the corner of the temple. Armenians do not pray in front of holy images. Some historians attribute this to the fact that the Armenian Church was engaged in iconoclasm.
- Difference in calendars. Representatives of Orthodoxy are guided by the Julian calendar. Armenian - in Gregorian.
- Representatives of the Armenian Church cross themselves from left to right, Orthodox Christians – vice versa.
- Spiritual hierarchy. IN Gregorian Church 5 degrees, where the highest is Catholicos, then bishop, priest, deacon, reader. There are only 3 degrees in the Russian Church.
- Fasting for 5 days – arachawork. Starts 70 days before Easter.
- Since the Armenian Church recognizes one hypostasis of God, only one is sung in church songs.. Unlike the Orthodox, where they sing about the trinity of God.
- During Lent, Armenians can eat cheese and eggs on Sundays.
- The Gregorian Church lives according to the tenets of only three councils, although there were seven of them. The Armenians were unable to attend the 4th Council of Chalcedon, and therefore did not accept the tenets of Christianity and ignored all subsequent councils.
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 people are mistaken in understanding the position that the Armenian Church occupies in the Christian world. Some consider it one of the Local Orthodox Churches, others, misled by the title of the First Hierarch of the AAC (“Catholicos”), consider it part of the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, both of these opinions are wrong - Armenian Christians stand apart from both the Orthodox and Catholic worlds. Although even their opponents do not argue with the epithet “Apostolic”. After all, Armenia truly became the world's first Christian state - in 301, Great Armenia adopted Christianity as the state religion.The primary role in this greatest event for Armenians was played by Saint Gregory the Illuminator , who became the first first hierarch of the state Armenian Church (302-326), and the king of Great Armenia, saint Trdat III the Great (287-330), who before his conversion was the most severe persecutor of Christianity.
Ancient Armenia
The history of Armenia goes back several thousand years. The Armenian people are one of the oldest modern peoples. He came into the world from such depths of centuries, when not only modern European peoples, but the peoples of ancient antiquity - the Romans and Hellenes - were barely emerging.
In the very center of the Armenian Highlands rises Mount Ararat, on the top of which, according to biblical legend, Noah's Ark stopped.
In the 1st millennium BC. on the territory of ancient Armenia there was a powerful kingdom of Urartu, whichoccupied a leading position among the states of Western Asia. After Urartu, the ancient Armenian kingdom appeared on this land. In more later eras Armenia has become a bone of contention in the struggle between neighboring states and empires. At first, Armenia was under the rule of the Medes, then it became part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. After the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, Armenia became a vassal of the Syrian Seleucids.
Penetration of Christianity into the territory of Armenia
According to ancient legends, Christianity began to penetrate into the territory of Armenia already in the 1st century AD. There is an ancient pious legend that even during the earthly life of the Lord Armenian king named Avgar
, being sick, learned about the miracles performed by the Savior in Palestine and sent an invitation to Him to his capital, Edessa. The Savior, in response, gave the king His Image Not Made by Hands and a promise to send one of His disciples to heal illnesses - not only physical, but also spiritual. Two disciples of Christ - Bartholomew And Fadey came to Armenia from Assyria and Kapadovka and began to preach Christianity (60 - 68 AD). They baptized princely families, ordinary people and are known as the “Enlighteners of the Armenian World.”
During the first 2 centuries, Christians in Armenia were forced to secretly preach their religion, since the state religion was paganism and pagans made up the majority. The persecution of Christians undertaken by Tirdat III coincides in time with similar persecutions in Rome under the emperor Diocletian (in 302-303) and even, as can be understood from the report of the Armenian historian of the 5th century. Agatangejos, were interconnected.
Both monarchs viewed Christians as a corrupting element, as an obstacle to the strengthening and unification of their states, and tried to eliminate it. However, the policy of persecuting Christians was already becoming obsolete, and Emperor Constantine the Great, with his famous words, legitimized Christianity and declared it equal in rights with other religions of the Roman Empire.
Founding of the Armenian Church
Trdat III the Great (287-330)
In 287, Trdat arrived in Armenia, accompanied by Roman legions, to return his father's throne. At the Eriza estate, he performs a 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 the idol. Then Trdat learns that Gregory is the son of his father’s murderer. For these “crimes” Gregory is thrown into “Khor Virap” (death pit), from where no one ever came out alive. Forgotten by everyone, St. Gregory lived in a pit with snakes and scorpions for 13 years. In the same year, the king issues two decrees: the first of them orders the arrest of all Christians within Armenia with the confiscation of their property, and the second - to betray death penalty sheltering Christians. These decrees show how dangerous Christianity was considered for the state and the state religion - paganism.
The adoption of Christianity by Armenia is closely associated with martyrdom Holy Virgins of Hripsimeyanok . According to Tradition, a group of Christian girls originally from Rome, hiding from the persecution of Emperor Diocletian, fled to the East.
Having visited Jerusalem and worshiped the holy places, the virgins, passing Edessa, reached the borders of Armenia and settled in grape presses near Vagharshapat.
Trdat, enchanted by the beauty of the maiden Hripsime, wanted to take her as his wife, but met desperate resistance. For disobedience, he ordered all the girls to be martyred. Hripsime and 32 friends died in the north-eastern part of Vagharshapat, the teacher of the maidens Gayane, along with two maidens, died in the southern part of the city, and one sick maiden was tortured right in the winepress.
The execution of the Hripsimeyan maidens took place in 300/301. She caused the king severe mental shock, which led to a serious nervous illness. In the 5th century, people called this disease "pork", that’s 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 Trdat could only be healed by Gregory, imprisoned. Gregory, who miraculously survived, was released from prison and solemnly received in Vagharshapat. He immediately collected and buried the relics of the virgin martyrs, and then, after preaching Christianity for 66 days, he healed the king.
King Trdat, together with his entire court, was baptized and proclaimed Christianity the state religion of Armenia.
Within 10 years, Christianity in Armenia took such deep roots that the Armenians took up arms against the strong Roman Empire for their new faith (it is known about the campaign of the Roman Emperor Maximin Daia in 311 against the Christian communities of Lesser Armenia).
The fight with Persia for the Christian faith
Since ancient times, Armenia was alternately under the rule of Byzantium and Persia. The Persian kings from time to time made attempts to destroy Christianity in Armenia and forcibly impose Zoroastrianism.
In 330-340 Persian king Shapukh II initiated persecution of Christians. Tens of thousands of martyrs died during this period. Until the end of the 4th century, the Persian court repeatedly tried to convert Armenia to Zoroastrianism with fire and sword, but the Armenians God's help defended the right of their people to profess Christianity.
In 387, Armenia was still divided between Byzantium and Persia. After the fall of the Armenian kingdom, Byzantine Armenia began to be governed by governors appointed from Byzantium. In Eastern Armenia, which was under Persian rule, the kings ruled for another 40 years.
In May 451 the famous Battle of Avarayr, which became first in world history an example of armed self-defense of Christianity, when light and darkness, life and death, faith and renunciation opposed each other. 66 thousand Armenian soldiers, old men, women, and monks, led by Vardan Mamikonyan, opposed the 200,000-strong Persian army.
Although the Armenian troops were defeated and suffered huge losses, the Battle of Avarayr elevated and ignited the Armenian spirit so much that it became able to live forever. The Persians captured and devastated the country, taking captive many clergy of the Armenian Church, led by the Catholicos. Nevertheless, Christianity managed to survive in Armenia. For another 30 years, the Armenians waged a guerrilla war against the Persian troops, exhausting the enemy’s forces, until in 484 the Shah agreed to sign a peace treaty between Armenia and Persia, in which the Persians recognized the right of the Armenian people to freely practice Christianity.
Apostasy from Orthodoxy
In 451 took place in Chalcedon IV Ecumenical Council . On the eve of it, at the instigation of the abbot of one of the Constantinople monasteries, Archimandrite Eutyches, arose heresy Monophysitism (from the combination of words " monos" - one and " physics" - nature). It appeared as an extreme reaction to heresy of Nestorianism . The Monophysites taught that human nature in Jesus Christ, received by Him from the Mother, dissolved in the nature of the Divine like a drop of honey in the ocean and lost its existence. That is, contrary to the teachings of the Universal Church, Monophysitism professes that Christ is God, but not a man (His human appearance is supposedly only illusory, deceptive). This teaching was exactly the opposite of the teaching of Nestorianism, condemned by the Third Ecumenical Council (431). The teaching between these extremes was precisely Orthodox.
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Orthodox Church professes in Christ one person (hypostasis) and two natures - divine and human. Nestorianism teaches about two persons, two hypostases and two natures. Monophysites but they fell to 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 is that the latter do not recognize the Ecumenical Councils, starting with the Fourth Council of Chalcedon, which adopted the definition of faith about two natures in Christ, which converge into one person and one hypostasis.
The Council of Chalcidos condemned both Nestorianism and Monophysitism, and defined the dogma of the union of two natures in the person of Jesus Christ: “Our Lord Jesus Christ is one and the same Son, one and the same perfect in Divinity and perfect in humanity, true God and true Man, one and the same, consisting of a verbal (rational) soul and body, consubstantial with the Father in Divinity and the same consubstantial with us in humanity, similar to us in everything except sin; born of the Father before the ages according to Divinity, but He was born in the last days for our sake and our salvation from Mary the Virgin and Mother of God according to humanity; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only Begotten, cognizable in two natures unmerged, unchangeable, indivisible, inseparable; the difference of His natures never disappears from their union, but the properties of each of the two natures are united in one person and one hypostasis, so that He is not divided or divided into two persons, but He is one and the same Only Begotten Son, God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; exactly as the prophets of ancient times spoke about Him and as Jesus Christ Himself taught us, and as He conveyed to us the Symbol of the Fathers.”
The Council in Chalcedon took place without the participation of Armenian bishops and representatives of other Transcaucasian Churches - at that time the peoples of Transcaucasia were fighting with Persia for the very right to profess the Christian faith. However, having learned about the decisions of the Council, Armenian theologians refused to recognize them, seeing a revival of Nestorianism in the doctrine of the two natures of Christ.
The reasons for this misunderstanding lie in the fact that the Armenian bishops did not know the exact resolutions of this Council - they received information about the Council from Monophysites who came to Armenia and spread a false rumor that the heresy of Nestorianism was restored at the Council of Chalcedon. When the decrees of the Council of Chalcedon appeared in the Armenian Church, then, out of ignorance exact value Greek word nature, Armenian teachers translated it to mean faces. As a result of this, they concluded that Christ supposedly contained within Himself one person, while having two natures - Divine and human. In Greek it sounded with exactly the opposite meaning. Thus, the Transcaucasian countries gradually, through Syria, became infected with all the prejudices against the “Chalcedonites,” not to mention the impossibility of adequately translating subtle theological terms from Greek.
In 491 took place in the Armenian capital Vagharshapat Local cathedral , which included representatives of the Armenian, Albanian and Georgian Churches. This council rejected the Chalcedonian decrees as allegedly establishing “two persons.” The resolution of the Vagharshapat Cathedral sounds like this: “We, Armenians, Georgians and Agvans, professing the one true faith bequeathed to us by the holy fathers at three Ecumenical Councils, reject such blasphemous speeches (i.e. that there are two separate persons in Christ) and unanimously anathematize everything like that.”It was this cathedral that became the historical watershed between the Greek Orthodox and Gregorian confessions for all centuries.
Attempts to restore church unity were made repeatedly, but were unsuccessful. Throughout the 5th and 6th centuries, local councils of the three Churches of Transcaucasia were convened - Albania, Armenia and Georgia, which united on the positions of Monophysitism. But from time to time, contradictions arose on hierarchical grounds between the Churches of Albania and Armenia.
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Map of Transcaucasia in the 4th-6th centuries
The Albanian and Georgian Churches, which developed in close connection with the Armenian Church and had long been in fraternal relations with it, in the 6th century held the same position on the issue of the Council of Chalcedon. However, as a result of the deepening processes of church decentralization in Transcaucasia, a break occurred between the Armenian Catholicos Abraham I and the Primate of the Georgian Church Kirion I. The Georgian Catholicos Kirion went over to the side of Greek Orthodoxy, i.e. Council of Chalcedon, and thereby eliminated the almost 70-year involvement of his Church in Monophysitism under the influence of its neighbors.
At the end of the 6th and 7th centuries, in connection with the strengthening of the political influence of Byzantium in Transcaucasia, the Albanian Church, like the Georgian, also joined Greek Orthodoxy.
So the Armenian Church officially fell away from Orthodoxy, deviated towards Monophysitism and separated into a special church, the religion of which is called Gregorian. The Monophysite Catholicos Abraham initiated the persecution of the Orthodox, forcing all clerics to either anathematize the Council of Chalcedon or leave the country.
In fairness, it must be said that The Armenian Church itself considers itself not monophysite, but “miaphysite.” Alas, an analysis of this situation would also require too complex and lengthy explanations at the level of senior students at the Theological Academy. Suffice it to say that everything theologians of both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches consider both Armenians and Egyptian Coptic Christians to be monophysite heretics without options. Although they respect their antiquity and uninterrupted apostolic succession. Thus, their clergy, in the event of a transition to, say, the Russian Orthodox Church, are accepted into their existing rank, without being ordained again - only through repentance.
One interesting thing worth mentioning historical fact, associated with the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher. In the 16th century, when the Armenian Church was at enmity with the Orthodox Churches, the Armenians bribed the Islamic authorities of Jerusalem so that only they would be allowed to the place of the great Sacrament? The fire never went down in its usual place. Instead, He, having passed through stone wall temple, lit a candle in his hands Orthodox Patriarch, as happened for many centuries both before and after this incident.
Muslim yoke
In the middle of the 7th century, the Armenian lands were first captured by the Arabs (Armenia became part of the Arab Caliphate), and in the 11th century, most of the Armenian lands were conquered by the Seljuk Turks. Then the territory of Armenia was partly under the control of Georgia, and partly under the control of the Mongols (XIII century). In the XIV century. Armenia was conquered and devastated by the hordes of Tamerlane. Armenia has gone through many trials. Many conquerors passed through its territory. As a result of centuries-old foreign invasions, the Armenian lands were inhabited by Turkic nomadic tribes.
Over the next two centuries, Armenia became the object of bitter fighting, first between Turkmen tribes and later between Ottoman Empire and Persia.
The Muslim yoke continued over the Armenians until the 19th century, when, after the Russian-Persian wars of 1813 and 1829, which were victorious for Russia, and the Russian-Turkish war of 1878, the eastern part of Armenia became part of the Russian Empire. The Armenians enjoyed the patronage and support of the Russian emperors. In the Ottoman Empire, Armenians were still late XIX centuries were subjected to repression, which in 1915-1921 turned into a real genocide: then about a million Armenians were exterminated by the Turks.
After the revolution of 1917, Armenia became an independent state for a short period, immediately subjected to aggression from Turkey, and in 1921 it became part of the USSR.
Armenian Church today
Armenian Apostolic Church is the national church of Armenians. Its Spiritual and Administrative Center is Holy Etchmiadzin , 20 kilometers west of Yerevan.
Holy Echmiadzin is a monastery in the city of Vagharshapat (in 1945-1992 - the city of Echmiadzin). The spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the oldest Christian Churches in the world; residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians.
PThe Hierarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church is considered Supreme Patriarch of the AAC and Catholicos of All Armenians . The current Catholicos is His Holiness Karekin II. The word "catholicos" is not synonymous with the title "patriarch", and does not indicate the highest hierarchical position, but the highest spiritual degree.
The Catholicos of All Armenians is under the jurisdiction of all dioceses within Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as most foreign dioceses around the world, in particular in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR.
There are four patriarchates in the Armenian Apostolic Church - Echmiadzin Catholicosate , located in Armenia proper and possessing supreme spiritual power over all Armenian believers (there are about 9 million people in total) - and also Cilician Catholicosate (The jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of Cilicia includes dioceses located in the countries of Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus), Constantinople (the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople includes the Armenian churches of Turkey and the island of Crete (Greece)) And Jerusalem patriarchy (the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem includes the Armenian churches of Israel and Jordan). The presence of several independent Catholicosates is not a sign of a schism of the united Armenian Church, but is a historically determined canonical structure.
The main differences between the Armenian Church and other Orthodox Churches
The Armenian Apostolic Church belongs to the group of Ancient Eastern Orthodox Churches, and like all the Churches of this group, it rejects the Council of Chalcedon and its decisions. In its dogmatics, the AAC is based on the decisions of the first three Ecumenical Councils and adheres to the pre-Chalcedonian Christology of the Alexandrian theological school, the most prominent representative of which was St. Cyril of Alexandria.
Severance from the tradition of the Orthodox Church did not prevent the Armenian Church from preserving that part of the Tradition that was formed before its apostasy. For example, Armenian worship includes some Orthodox chants. Moreover, in the 13th century, the life of the holy princes Boris and Gleb, translated into Armenian, was inserted into the synaxarion of Vardapet Ter-Israel.
In Armenian churches few icons and no iconostasis , which is a consequence of local ancient tradition, historical conditions and general asceticism of decoration.
Among the Armenian believers there is no tradition of having icons at home . The Cross is often used in home prayer. This is due to the fact that the icon in the AAC must certainly be consecrated by the hand of the bishop with holy myrrh, and therefore it is more of a temple shrine than an indispensable attribute of home prayer.
Geghard (Ayrivank) - cave monastery of the 4th century. in the gorge of the mountain river Gokht
In the Armenian Apostolic Church Sign of the Cross tripartite (similar to Greek) and from left to right (like the Latins), but this is not a combination of borrowed elements, namely Armenian tradition. The AAC does not consider other versions of the Sign of the Cross, practiced in other churches, to be “wrong,” but perceives them as a natural local tradition.
Ohanavank Monastery (IV century) - one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world
The Armenian Apostolic Church as a whole lives according to Gregorian calendar , but the community in the diaspora, in the territories of Churches using the Julian calendar, with the blessing of the bishop can live according to Julian calendar. That is, the calendar is not given a “dogmatic” status.
The AAC celebrates the Nativity of Christ on January 6, simultaneously with Epiphany, under common name Epiphanies.
In the church - Gyumri
Due to the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church considers the AAC a denomination that takes positions incompatible with the Orthodox faith, believers of the AAC cannot be commemorated in Orthodox churches, bury them according to the Orthodox rite, and perform other Sacraments over them. Accordingly, the participation of an Orthodox Christian in Armenian worship is a reason for his excommunication from the Church - until he repents of his sin.
However, all these strictures do not mean a ban on personal prayer, which can be offered for a person of any faith. After all, even if the latter is marred by heresy or is simply far from Christianity, this does not mean for its bearer an automatic “ticket to hell,” but hope for the ineffable mercy of God.
Material prepared by Sergey Shulyak