Armenian Church

n. An autonomous Christian church established in Armenia in the fourth century ad.

Armenian Church

n (Christian Churches, other) the national Church of Armenia, founded in the early fourth century ad, the dogmas and liturgy of which are similar to those of the Orthodox Church

Thesaurus

Noun

Armenian Church - an independent Christian church established in Armenia since 300; was influenced by both Roman and Byzantine traditionsArmenian Apostolic Orthodox ChurchChristian church, church - one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worshipArmenia, Hayastan, Republic of Armenia - a landlocked republic in southwestern Asia; formerly an Asian soviet; modern Armenia is but a fragment of ancient Armenia which was one of the world's oldest civilizations; throughout 2500 years the Armenian people have been invaded and oppressed by their neighbors

Armenian Church

Armenian Church,

autonomous Christian church, sometimes also called the Gregorian Church. Its head, a primate of honor only, is the catholicos of Yejmiadzin, Armenia; Karekin II became catholicos in 1999. His rule is shared by the patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople and by the catholicos of Sis (Cilicia). In general, Armenian practices resemble those of other Eastern churches; the priests may marry and communion is distributed in both bread and wine, although the use of unleavened bread is a Western practice. The liturgical language is classical Armenian. Armenia became Christian at the end of the 3d cent. through the missionary work of St. Gregory the IlluminatorGregory the Illuminator, Saint,
d. c.330, churchman, called the Apostle of Armenia. He was the first metropolitan of Armenia and is revered as founder of the Armenian Church. Feast: Sept. 30.
..... Click the link for more information. . In the next century the young church made itself autonomous, apparently because of the efforts of the metropolitan bishop of Caesarea, St. Basil the Great, to impose certain reforms. After the Council of Chalcedon the Armenians rejected the orthodox position; this adoption, at least tacit, of MonophysitismMonophysitism
[Gr.,=belief in a single nature], a heresy of the 5th and 6th cent., which grew out of a reaction against Nestorianism. It was anticipated by Apollinarianism and was continuous with the principles of Eutyches, whose doctrine had been rejected in 451 at Chalcedon
..... Click the link for more information. completed the isolation of the Armenian Church from the rest of Christendom. Part of the Armenian Church reunited with Rome temporarily in the 13th and 14th cent., and missionary work by the Roman Church in the 14th cent. resulted in many converts. In 1740 the Catholic Armenian rite was officially organized, in communion with the pope but under its own patriarch. Today there are Armenian churches in every continent.

Bibliography

See P. C. Gulesserian, The Armenian Church (tr. 1939, repr. 1970); D. Attwater, The Christian Churches of the East (2 vol., rev. ed. 1961).

Armenian Church

Armenian Church

Armenian Church

Armenian Church

Armenian Church,

Bibliography

Armenian Church

Synonyms for Armenian Church

noun an independent Christian church established in Armenia since 300

Synonyms

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