04 — The Apostle of Armenia
The tradition that honors Bartholomew, together with the Apostle Thaddaeus, as the first enlighteners of Armenia and the apostolic founders of the Armenian Apostolic Church — itself named for its claim of apostolic origin. These files present that tradition respectfully and note, as a neutral dated fact and without polemic, that the Armenian Apostolic Church is Oriental Orthodox (non-Chalcedonian) and is not in sacramental communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox (Apostle)
Among the several mission fields ascribed to Bartholomew, Armenia is the one most deeply embedded in a living ecclesial memory. The Armenian Apostolic Church takes its very name from the tradition that it was founded by the apostles Thaddaeus and Bartholomew, and the great medieval Armenian historians record that Bartholomew preached in Armenia and was martyred there. The monastery long associated with his name and supposed tomb stood in the region of Vaspurakan. This section sets out the Armenian apostolic tradition and the cult of the “First-Illuminators,” and treats with care — per the repository methodology on sensitive jurisdictional matters — the dated, neutral fact of the ecclesial division between the Armenian (Oriental Orthodox) and Eastern Orthodox communions, which followed the Council of Chalcedon (451).
Files in This Section
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| The Enlightener of Armenia | The tradition of Bartholomew’s preaching and martyrdom in Armenia; the medieval Armenian historians (Moses of Khorene); the apostle’s association with the region of Vaspurakan and the monastery of his name; and the cult of the apostle in the Armenian Church. |
| The Armenian Apostolic Tradition | Bartholomew and Thaddaeus as the apostolic founders and “First-Illuminators” of the Armenian Apostolic Church; the relation of this apostolic claim to the later mission of St. Gregory the Illuminator; and the neutral, dated note on the Oriental Orthodox (non-Chalcedonian) status of the Armenian Church. |
See Also
- The Missions — Armenia among the mission fields
- The Martyrdom — the flaying at Albanopolis, located by tradition in Armenia
- St. Nina of Georgia — the apostolic enlightenment of the neighboring Caucasus
- Orthodoxy: Georgia — the wider Caucasus context
References
- Moses of Khorene. History of the Armenians. Trans. Robert W. Thomson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.
- Agathangelos. History of the Armenians. Trans. Robert W. Thomson. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1976.
- The Council of Chalcedon (451), Definition of Faith. (The conciliar dividing-line between the Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian Churches.)