Sectarian and Heretical Movements in Armenia - Article Example

As we speak of the sectarian movements in Armenia in early years of Christianity, those are Manichaeism and Paulicianism that are to be focused on. There were other smaller sects, such as the Pepuzians and Alogians, Cathari and Phantasians, but as a rule, they expressed the ideas similar to those spread by the two most influential sects and later absorbed into them. Both Manichaeism and Paulicianism took roots in the teaching of Gnosticism. As we can judge from the remarks made by Leon Arpee1, the tow sects were sometimes mixed. This might have happened while after the sixth century in Europe the term Manichaeism was used to designate any heretical group2. Though the information on the sects is scarce and inaccurate, it is clear that the two sects had different independent histories. As mentioned above, the movements originated from the dualistic teaching of Gnosticism (a teaching of mystical knowledge of the universe and human nature, which allowed freeing the immortal spirit from the mortal body and becoming a part of the Supreme Being). Many Gnostic Christians could be found in the early Christian community. The major argumentation went around the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Gnostic Christians stated that Christ was not born as a human, but was only an apparition in the human form. The Gnostic teaching took various forms and stayed influential for long. The remnants of its followers can be found even nowadays in southern Iran. However, it provided basis for both of the movements discussed in this paper. Another influential movement coming from Gnosticism and preceding the Manichaeism was the teaching of Marcion, a highly worshipped Christian teacher from Asia Minor, who having settled in Rome, preached that the God of Old Testament was an evil Demiurge of low moral qualities, different in nature from Jesus Christ. Marcion rejected the Old Testament and the Jewish Law (Torah) and, viewing Christianity as a mere gospel of Love, offered a canon of scripture including Gospel of Luke, with eliminated birth narration), Apostle of Paul with edited ten letters highlighting the antithesis between the spirit and law, and Antithesis, a book written by Marcion. In the mid of the second century AD Marcionites broke from the Roman Church, and survived till the fourth century, when they became a part of Manichaeism. Unfortunately, Marcion’s writings have not been preserved till our days. We know about this teaching from the written attacks at his sect, the sources showing that Marcionites were very influential3. Manichaeism was the sect which appeared short before the orthodox Christian doctrine was established at the conclaves. Its founder Mani was a Persian, born in times of the Sassanids. Brought in the Mazdaen faith and adopting Christianity in his youth, Mani was dissatisfied with both. He created a new religion, combing the elements of the two and adding those of Zoroastrism, Mesopotamian, and Buddhism. Considering himself the last prophet, Mani wrote a book Erdengi Mani, claiming that it was dictated to him in heaven. His doctrine taught that there were two opposite initial elements in the universe – God and Matter, of which God is superior. According to this teaching people could be divided into the Elect, the Hearers and the Wicked. After death, the Elect easily ascended to the moon to be admitted to paradise. The Hearers had to pass through long purifying wandering before they could join the Elect. The Wicked had no chances for paradise, being condemned to roam in the Universe until the realm of darkness took them. Mani was prosecuted as a heretic, eventually being crucified and flayed in 227. However, his teaching was very influential and had many followers. From Persia it spread to Syria and Palestine, Egypt and North Africa, Gaul and Spain, Turkey and Greece. It was popular in Arabia and Iran, India and China. Both Iranian and Roman rulers persecuted the Manichaeans. The teaching was announced an “insane heresy”, a “dangerous and wicked” faith in Syria, Iraq, Italy, Greece, and Armenia. However, the influence of the sect is evident from the fact that many bright people of the time, including St. Augustine, were its members4. The Paulicianism was a movement that appeared in Armenia. The Paulicians must have descended from the Pualians, or Adoptionists, the Unitarian sect condemned at the first Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325. The history and doctrine of the Paulicians are known to us from the Greek sources of the ninth century, especially those belonging to Gregory Magistros and Petrus Siculus, as well as the Catholicos John of Ozdun. Though the information is scarce, it is clear that the movement was spread at the frontier zone of the country and was headed by the Armenian leaders. The sect was founded about 653 by Constantine Silvanus (the name adopted after one of Paul’s disciples), who came from the city of Mananali, which is near modern Erzrum. The teaching combined the dualistic doctrine with the orthodox Christianity. The primitive Christians, as they called themselves, strived for the purification of the church, through the rejection of images and Cross, and simplification of the church hierarchy. Leon Arpee writes that their eschatology was biblical and that they, unlike the Manichaeans, did not “discredit the Old Testament, belittle the New or dabble in extra biblical teaching”5, while Redgate6 states that they were accused of “detesting Christ, of parodying the Enchrist” and Zoroastrism practices (which were sooner characteristic with the Manicheans, according to Arpee7). Like Gnostic Christians, the Paulicians believed that Jesus Christ did not possess human body, but was an apparition in the human form, having descended from heaven to show people the way to Supreme Being. Their teaching also had a dualistic nature, with the evil opposed to the good. Unlike Arpee, Redgate says that they rejected the Old Testament. As we can see the teaching of Paulicians seems to have common feature with Gnosticism, Marcion’s and Mani’s doctrines. The Paulicians’ doctrine was laid out in Constantine’s work, lost by now. Having appeared in Mananali, the Paulicianism was transmitted to the city of Cibossa, which is in Lesser Armenia. This occurred about 655 for reasons unknown. After Constantine was executed by imperial authorities in 682 or 684, some of the Paulicians found support of the Arabs and established their headquarters in Irkay or Irga canton, probably north of modern Bitlis. Simeon, the executor of the Emperor’s order, was himself converted to Paulicianism, became Constantine’s successor, but was also martyred in 690, under Justinian II. The adherents of the sect fled from the prosecutions in Episparis, led by ‘Paul’, who remained their leader from 688 to 717. It was Paul, who established a dynastic right of leadership. It is also possible that it was he whose name was used to coin the name of the sect. The Paulicians were viewed as very dangerous by the Christian Church. Their influence spread quickly, people of the highest ranks and best moral qualities being converted to the religion. However, the persecutions of the early eighth century under the Catholicos John of Ozdun made the Paulicians seek support in neighboring countries. The Paulicians of Southern Armenia found shelter in Mufarkin, the Arab city. Another part of Paulicians followed their leader Gegnesius, who after being taken to Constantinople to be put to inquiry by Leo the Isaurian, and being declared innocent of heresy, took his adherents to Mananali, where they stayed under the defense of Arabs. Later in the ninth century the Paulicians were allowed to settle in Melitene. The iconoclastic movement, defeated in Byzantium at the end of the eighth – in early ninth centuries, was close to the ideas of Paulicianism and provided the sect with new adherents and protection from the rulers of Byzantium. The sect continued gaining its influence notwithstanding constant persecutions. The persecution of the Paulicians never stopped in Armenia. An inquiry was set up by Leo V (813-20) to investigate the situation in Asia Minor. The Paulicians had to kill the people conducting the inquiry and flee to Melitene, now being under Saracen Governor. For years Paulicians committed their numerous raids from this city. In 835 a thorough prosecution was instituted in Asia Minor by the Empress Regent, Theodora, who boasted to have killed 100,000 Paulicians. The sect fought fiercely. Karbeas, an Armenian army officer, avenging his father, who had perished in persecution, headed the army of Paulicians and they fled to Argacum, assaulting and capturing the fortresses of Amara and Tephrike, and carrying their war into Asia Minor. Karbeas’ father-in-law captured Ephesus. However, the Paulicians were broken by the Armenian Emperor Basil in 873. Another stronghold of Paulicianism appeared in Tonrak, the town situated in the same region with other center of Paulicianism such as Irga, Tutail, Knus, Jwurm and Zarehavan and making Paulicians also called Tonrakians. These headquarters were set by Smbat of Zarehavan, the Paulicians’ influential leader, executed by the Arab Emir as a self-confessed Christ. The position was held by a number of Smbat’s successors. About 1002 the Tonrakians managed to convert the Bishop of Harek, a diocese to the south-east of the modern Erzrum, with towns of Khnus and Jwurm. This Bishop Jacob was a man of great personal power: people of the highest ranks followed him and his religion. Jacob’s reforms, however, caused the split of his churches. After the investigation, Jacob was arrested by the Catholicos Sergius as a heretic, but fled to Constantinople, then returned to Armenia and lived in Tonrak, Akhlat and Mufarkin. In several years the Tonrakians converted prince Vrverr, who established Paulicianism in his lands. In 1005 the Emperor Basil II sent a Justice to investigate the situation. As a result, all the sectarians were chastised. The sect remained active in Armenia, Syria and Palestine till the end of the eleventh century. Deportation being the major method of dealing with the heretics, Paulicianism spread to the Balkans and laid foundation to the Bogomile Church in Bulgaria. Their remnants can still be found in the Balkans8. Endnotes: Read More