On the Christological differences and dialogue between the Armenian Apostolic and Orthodox Churches: a historical Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51216/2687-072X_2026_2_176-194Keywords:
Armenian Church, Orthodox Church, liturgies, Council of Chalcedon, Miaphysitism, Christology, inter-church dialogue.Abstract
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical and theological causes of the Christological differences between the Armenian Apostolic and Orthodox Churches. It is noted that the centuries-long division was largely due not so much to fundamental dogmatic contradictions as to a complex set of external factors. Among these, key factors included Armenia’s political isolation in the 5th and 6th centuries, linguistic barriers that hampered the adequate translation of the Council of Chalcedon’s subtle theological terminology, and a lack of information that led to a distorted reception of its decisions.
A central focus of the study is an analysis of the Christology of the Armenian Apostolic Church, using the works of Catholicos Nerses IV Shnorhali (12th century) as an example. Through a detailed examination of his theological system, the article notes that the Miaphysitism professed by the Armenian Apostolic Church, which derives from the Christology of St. Cyril of Alexandria, is essentially Orthodox. It affirms the unmerged and indivisible unity of the two natures in Christ, decisively rejecting both Nestorian dualism and Eutychian Monophysitism, which testifies to its essential unity with Orthodox Christology, despite its terminological distinctiveness. The article also briefly considers the liturgical traditions of the Armenian Church as an important expression of its historical and ecclesial identity.
The work also traces the evolution of inter-church dialogue in modern times (20th-21st centuries). It shows how, within the framework of official theological meetings resumed in 1961, the parties reached a mutual understanding and a rapprochement of positions. This was expressed in the Orthodox Churches’ recognition of the inadmissibility of equating the Chalcedonian
Horos with Nestorianism, and on the part of the Armenian Church, in a clear rejection of Eutychianism. These steps made it possible to shift the dialogue from the realm of historical grievances to a constructive focus on the joint study of various ways of expressing a common faith and practical cooperation.
For citation: Sergunin V. A., archpriest On the Christological differences and dialogue between the Armenian Apostolic and Orthodox Churches: a historical Perspective // Theological Collection of Tambov Theological Seminary 2026, no. 2 (35), pp. 176-194. (In Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.51216/2687-072X_2026_2_176-194. EDN: YMVVDQ
Received 19 March 2026.
Accepted for press 11 May 2026.
Conflict of interest: The author declares no conflict of interest.
Funding: This study did not receive external funding.
The content is available under a license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
ISSN 2687-072Х
RSCI: SPIN-код: 9812-9901, AuthorID: 1100109
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