Protestantism in Armenia
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

As of 2011, most Armenians are Christians (97%) and are members of Armenia's own church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the oldest Christian churches. It was founded in the 1st century AD, and in 301 AD became the first branch of Christianity to become a
state religion A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular state, secular, is not n ...
. According to
Pew Research The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan American think tank (referring to itself as a "fact tank") based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the wor ...
publication in December 2018 Armenia is the 2nd most religious country among 34 European nations with 80% of respondents saying they believe in God with absolute certainty. In the 21st century, the largest minority Christian churches in the country are composed of new converts to Protestant and non-trinitarian Christianity, a combined total up to 38,989 persons (1.3%). Due to the country's ethnic homogeneity, non-Christian religions such as Yazidism and
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
have only a few adherents.


Religious demography

Approximately 98.1% of the country's population is ethnic Armenian. Armenians have a very strong cultural connection to the Armenian Apostolic Church. About 97% of citizens belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, an Eastern Christian denomination in communion with the other
Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent o ...
churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church has its spiritual center at the
Etchmiadzin Cathedral Etchmiadzin Cathedral) or simply Etchmiadzin. Alternatively spelled as Echmiadzin, Ejmiatsin, and Edjmiadsin. ( hy, Էջմիածնի մայր տաճար, Ēǰmiatsni mayr tačar) is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located i ...
. The head of the church is Catholicos Karekin II. According to the Census of 2011, the composition of people identifying with religions in Armenia is the following: Christianity 2,862,366 (99%), of whom 2,797,187 are
Armenian Apostolic , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
(97%); 29,280 Evangelical; 13,996 Armenian Rite and Latin Rite Catholic; 8,695 Jehovah's Witness; 7,587 Eastern Orthodox (Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Greek); 2,874
Molokan The Molokans ( rus, молокан, p=məlɐˈkan or , "dairy-eater") are a Spiritual Christian sect that evolved from Eastern Orthodoxy in the East Slavic lands. Their traditions—especially dairy consumption during Christian fasts—did not ...
(non-Orthodox Russians); 1,733
Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East,, ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية sometimes called Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East,; ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية الرسول ...
(Nestorian); 733 Protestant; 241 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; 23,374 Yazidi (0.8%); 5,146
Pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
(0.2%); 812
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
; 5,299 people of other religions (0.2%); 121,587 no response (4.0%). Yazidis are concentrated primarily in agricultural areas around Mount Aragats, northwest of the capital Yerevan. They live in 19 villages in the Aragatsotn Province, two villages in the
Armavir Province Armavir ( hy, wikt:Արմավիր, Արմավիր, ), is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''marz'') in the western part of Armenia. Located in the Ararat plain dominated by Mount Ararat from the south and Mount Aragats from the n ...
, and one village in the Ararat Province.
Armenian Catholics , native_name_lang = hy , image = St Elie - St Gregory Armenian Catholic Cathedral.jpg , imagewidth = 260px , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Saint Elias and Saint Gregory the Illuminat ...
live mainly in the northern region, in seven villages in the Shirak Province and six villages in the
Lori Province Lori ( hy, Լոռի, ), is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. Other important towns include Stepanavan, Alaverdi, and Spitak ...
.
Molokan The Molokans ( rus, молокан, p=məlɐˈkan or , "dairy-eater") are a Spiritual Christian sect that evolved from Eastern Orthodoxy in the East Slavic lands. Their traditions—especially dairy consumption during Christian fasts—did not ...
s live in 10 villages in the
Lori Province Lori ( hy, Լոռի, ), is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. Other important towns include Stepanavan, Alaverdi, and Spitak ...
, two villages in the Shirak Province, and two villages in the Gegharkunik Province. Most Jews,
Mormons Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
, followers of the Baháʼí Faith, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Western Catholic (Latin Rite) Christians reside in the capital Yerevan, which has attracted a greater variety of peoples. Yerevan also has a small community of Muslims, including ethnic Kurds, Iranians, and temporary residents from the Middle East. Foreign missionary groups are active in the country.


Freedom of religion

The Constitution as amended in 2005 provides for freedom of religion and the right to practice, choose, or change religious belief. It recognizes "the exclusive mission of the Armenian Church as a national church in the spiritual life, development of the national culture, and preservation of the national identity of the people of Armenia." The law places some restrictions on the religious freedom of religious groups other than the Armenian Church. The Law on Freedom of Conscience establishes the separation of church and state but it grants the Armenian Church official status as the national church.


Traditional Armenian religions


Armenian Apostolic Church

According to tradition, Christianity was first introduced to this area by the
apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
Bartholomew and
Thaddeus Thaddeus (Latin ''Thaddaeus'', Ancient Greek Θαδδαῖος ''Thaddaĩos'', from Aramaic תדי ''Ṯaday'') is a male given name. As of the 1990 Census, ''Thaddeus'' was the 611th most popular male name in the United States, while ''Thad'', ...
in the 1st century AD. Armenia became the first country to establish Christianity as its state religion when, in an event traditionally dated to 301 AD,
St. Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator ( Classical hy, Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ, reformed: Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ, ''Grigor Lusavorich'';, ''Gregorios Phoster'' or , ''Gregorios Photistes''; la, Gregorius Armeniae Illuminator, cu, Svyas ...
convinced Tiridates III, the king of Armenia, to
convert Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...
to Christianity. Before this, the dominant religion was
Armenian paganism Armenian mythology originated in ancient Indo-European traditions, specifically Proto-Armenian, and gradually incorporated Hurro-Urartian, Mesopotamian, Iranian, and Greek beliefs and deities."Armenia (Vannic)" by A.H. Sayce, p.793-4; "Armen ...
, under the theological influence of Zoroastrianism. The Armenian Apostolic Church is the
national church A national church is a Christian church associated with a specific ethnic group or nation state. The idea was notably discussed during the 19th century, during the emergence of modern nationalism. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in a draft discussing ...
of the Armenian people. Part of
Oriental Orthodoxy The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent ...
, it is one of the most ancient
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
institutions. And is "seen by many as the custodian of Armenian national identity". "Beyond its role as a religious institution, the Apostolic Church has traditionally been seen as the foundational core in the development of the Armenian national identity as God's uniquely chosen people."


Hetanism

Hetanism ( Հեթանոսություն, ''Hetanosutyun'') is a
neo-pagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...
movement in Armenia. Adherents call themselves "Hetans" (''Hetanos'' հեթանոս, the Old Armenian biblical term loaned from Greek ἐθνικός "gentile"). The movement traces its origins back to the work of the early-20th-century political philosopher and revolutionary Garegin Nzhdeh and his doctrine of ''
tseghakron Tseghakronism ( hy, Ցեղակրոնութիւն, translit=Tsʿeghakrōnutʿiwn') is a national/ethnic and political movement towards a renewal of the spiritual, behavioral and cultural identity of the Armenian people. The aim of Tseghakronism is ...
'' (rejuvenation through national religion). In 1991, it was institutionalized by the
Armenologist Armenian studies or Armenology ( hy, հայագիտություն, ) is a field of humanities covering Armenian history, language and culture. The emergence of modern Armenian studies is associated with the foundation of the Catholic Mechitarist o ...
Slak Kakosyan Slak may refer to: *Franci Slak (1953–2007), Slovenian film director *Lojze Slak Lojze Slak (23 July 1932 – 29 September 2011) was a Slovenes, Slovenian musician. Slak was one of the pioneers of Slovene popular folk music, based on diatonic b ...
into the "Order of the Children of Ari" (''Arordineri Ukht''). The movement is strongly associated to Armenian nationalism. It finds some support from nationalist political parties of Armenia, particularly the Republican Party of Armenia and the Union of Armenian Aryans.Yulia Antonyan. ''Re-creation of a Religion: Neopaganism in Armenia''. Yerevan State University. This and other papers about Armenian Hetanism are availabl
here


Other Christians and other religions


Other Christian denominations


Catholic Church

The Catholic Church in Armenia is divided between Latin Rite parishes (subject to Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus) and Armenian Catholic Church's parishes. The 2011 census counted 13,996 Catholics.


Protestantism

Since the end of the Soviet Union, American Protestant missionaries have been proselytising in the country. The 2011 census counted 29,280
Evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
(1% of the population) and 773 mainline
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
.


Eastern Orthodoxy

According to the Census of 2011, there are 7,587 adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy in Armenia, mainly Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians and Greeks. Russian Orthodox community is centered around
Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God of Kanaker ( hy, Քանաքեռի Սուրբ Տիրամոր Ռուս Ուղղափառ Եկեղեցի (''Kanakeri Surb Tiramor Rus Vughghap'ar Yekeghets'i''), russian: Храм Покрова ...
in Yerevan, consecrated in 1912.


Molokans

According to the Census of 2011, there are 2,874
Molokan The Molokans ( rus, молокан, p=məlɐˈkan or , "dairy-eater") are a Spiritual Christian sect that evolved from Eastern Orthodoxy in the East Slavic lands. Their traditions—especially dairy consumption during Christian fasts—did not ...
s in Armenia.


Nestorianism

According to the Census of 2011, there are 1,733 Nestorians in Armenia.


Restorationism

The
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
have estimated their membership at 11,500; the 2011 census found 8,695. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims approximately 3,000 adherents in Armenia at the end of 2011; the 2011 census found 241.


Yazidism

About 1% of Armenia's population (23,374 as per the 2011 census), mostly ethnic Yazidis, an
ethno-religious An ethnoreligious group (or an ethno-religious group) is a grouping of people who are unified by a common religious and ethnic background. Furthermore, the term ethno-religious group, along with ethno-regional and ethno-linguistic groups, is a s ...
group living in the western part of the country, follow Yazidism, one of the Yazdan religions. Many Yazidis came to Armenia and Georgia during the 19th and early 20th centuries to escape religious persecution. Relations between Yazidis and Armenians are strong. The world's largest Yazidi temple is constructed in the small village of
Aknalich Aknalich (or Aknalitch, hy, Ակնալիճ; formerly, Aygherlich) is a village in the Armavir Province of Armenia. The village is situated on a lake, after which it is named, to the east of Metsamor. Aknalich village is the site of the only Yaz ...
.


Judaism

Currently there are an estimated 750 Jews in the country, a remnant of a once larger community. Most left Armenia for Israel after the collapse of the Soviet Union in pursuit of better living standards. Still, despite the small numbers, high intermarriage rate and relative isolation, a lot of enthusiasm exists to help the community meet its needs.


Islam

Azerbaijanis Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are the second-most numer ...
and Kurds living in Armenia traditionally practised
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
, but most Azerbaijanis, who were the largest minority in the country, fled during the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...
.Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – 2003: Armenia
U.S. Department of State. Released 25 February 2004
In 2009, the Pew Research Center estimated that less than 0.1% of the population, or about 1,000 people, were Muslims. The 18th century Blue Mosque is open for Friday prayers. Throughout history, Armenians did not convert to Islam in large numbers despite long periods of Muslim rule. During the Arabic conquest, Islam came to the Armenians; however, very few Armenians converted to Islam, since Christians were not required to convert by Muslim law. There is, however, a minority of ethnic Armenian Muslims, known as Hamshenis, the vast majority of which live outside of Armenia mostly in Turkey and Russia.


Baháʼí Faith

The Baháʼí Faith in Armenia begins with some involvements in the banishments and execution of the Báb, the Founder of Bábism, viewed by Baháʼís as a precursor religion. The same year of the execution of the Báb the religion was introduced into Armenia. During the period of Soviet policy of religious oppression, the Baháʼís in Armenia lost contact with the Baháʼís elsewhere. However, in 1963 communities were identified in Yerevan and Artez. Following
Perestroika ''Perestroika'' (; russian: links=no, перестройка, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg) was a political movement for reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s widely associated wit ...
, the first Baháʼí
Local Spiritual Assemblies Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
of Armenia form in 1991 and Armenian Baháʼís elected their first National Spiritual Assembly in 1995. As of 2010, it was estimated that there were roughly 1,200 Baháʼís in Armenia.


Sects

Since the early 1990s, foreign missionaries, esoteric and sectarian groups entered Armenia.


Hinduism


See also

*
Baháʼí Faith in Armenia The earliest contact documented to date, between Armenians and the Bábí-Baháʼí religion began on an unfortunate note in the banishments and execution of the Báb, the Founder of the Bábí Faith, viewed by Baháʼís as a precursor religio ...
*
Catholic Church in Armenia The Catholic Church in Armenia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The 2011 census counted 13,843 Catholics in Armenia, representing about 0.46% of the total population. Catholics in Arme ...
* Christianity in Europe *
Freedom of religion in Armenia The Constitution of Armenia as amended in December 2005 provides for freedom of religion; however, the law places some restrictions on the religious freedom of adherents of minority religious groups, and there were some restrictions in practice. T ...
*
Hinduism in Armenia Hinduism in Armenia remains a minor feature in Armenian religious life, generally represented through The International Society for Krishna Consciousness and a minority of Indian students, with backgrounds in Hinduism. History There was a colony ...
*
History of the Jews in Armenia The history of the Jews in Armenia is one of the Jewish communities in the Caucasus region. There is evidence of Jewish settlement in the Armenian Highlands dating as early 1st century BC. Historical Armenia There are historical records that a ...
* Islam in Armenia * Religion by country * Religion in Europe * Yazidis in Armenia * Zoroastrianism in Armenia


References


Further reading

* Guroian, Vigen. "Armenia." In ''The Encyclopedia of Christianity'', edited by Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, 125–126. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999. *


External links


Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church Library
* Charles, Robia: "Religiosity in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan" in th
Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 20
* Harutyunyan, Harutyun: "The Role of the Armenian Church During Military Conflicts" in th
Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 20
{{Christianity in Europe Armenia Armenia