Podcasts about armenian church

Groong Week in Review - June 8, 2025In this Week in Review episode, Groong hosts unpack a tense week in Armenian politics and society. Prime Minister Pashinyan intensifies his attacks on the Armenian Church, while the ruling Civil Contract party faces mounting criticism over corruption and nepotism. The opposition RPA nominates a symbolic candidate for prime minister amid an unlikely impeachment effort. Meanwhile, Armenia's economy shows cracks beneath reported growth, Georgia tightens trade routes, and demographic warnings grow starker as birthrates plummet and emigration continues. The episode also touches on global shifts, including the Ukraine war and Poland's presidential pivot, framing Armenia's challenges in a broader geopolitical context.TopicsUkraine's War, Poland's Pivot?Status Check on the EconomyRPA Names PM CandidateArmenia's Demographic ThreatsThe Kitchen SinkGuestHrant MikaelianHostsHovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 444 | Recorded: June 9, 2025SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/444VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ZeOxwQm2DJ8#ArmeniaPolitics #ArmeniaEconomy #ukrainewar #armenianchurch #PopulationDeclineSubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

Groong Week in Review - June 1, 2025In this episode of Groong's Week in Review, recorded on June 2, 2025, guest Benyamin Poghosyan joins hosts Hovik Manucharyan and Asbed Bedrossian to unpack a tense and volatile week in both regional and domestic politics. The conversation opens with rising tensions in the Ukraine war, as drone strikes reach deep into Russia, Germany lifts missile restrictions, and Trump labels Putin “crazy,” all while Iran nuclear talks remain frozen under hardline U.S. demands. The focus then shifts to the South Caucasus, where Turkish FM Hakan Fidan met Lavrov in Moscow to push the “3+3” platform and floated Istanbul as a summit venue for global powers. Meanwhile, Erdogan, Aliyev, and Pakistan's PM Sharif staged a PR spectacle in Lachin to inaugurate a third airport in occupied Artsakh, signaling strategic realignments. Back in Armenia, the Pashinyans launched harsh verbal attacks on the Armenian Church just as Baku's Grand Mufti claimed Etchmiadzin as Azerbaijani land, prompting questions of tacit coordination. The episode also revisits the impeachment debate versus opposition planning for the 2026 elections, probing whether security and corruption can drive real political traction. Finally, the hosts spotlight the rise of regime-aligned oligarch Narek Nalbandyan, whose sweetheart deals, state-enabled asset grabs, and government-backed expansion raise serious concerns about the erosion of anti-corruption values in Armenia today.TopicsStatus of Ukraine and US-Iran CrisesHakan Fidan in MoscowErdogan, Aliyev, Sharif in LachinAzerbaijan and Pashinyan Attack the Armenian ChurchImpeachment vs. ElectionsThe Kitchen SinkGuest: Benyamin PoghosyanHostsHovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 442 | Recorded: June 2, 2025SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/442VIDEO: https://youtu.be/oo_B7xhOVlMSubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

Conversations on Groong – April 29, 2025Topics:    Vatican's alliance with Azerbaijan    Whitewashing of Artsakh's ethnic cleansing    Global silence on Armenian Genocide    U.S. policy under Trump and risks to ArmeniaGuest:Alberto M. FernandezHosts:Hovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 431 | Recorded: April 29, 2025https://podcasts.groong.org/431VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ma7QlJRzjTISubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

St. Gregory of Narek (c. 945-1003), was an Armenian saint: a monk, scholar, poet, and hymn writer. Praised as a saint by Pope St. John Paul II, who called by him the “great Marian doctor of the Armenian Church,” St. Gregory of Narek was officially proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2015–one of the most recent additions to the list of the Doctors of the Church. Links Listen to our Way of the Fathers episode on the heresy of Eutyches and monophysitism: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/416-heresieseutyches-monophysitism-drop-in-ocean/  Listen to our Way of the Fathers episode on the heresy of rebaptism: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/410-heresies-rebaptism-and-donatists/ Listen to a lecture by musicologist Dr. Haig Utigjian on St. Gregory's Odes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xleJO1xra08 (The lecturer sings an example of a (later) melody at about minute 36) The book, The Doctor of Mercy: The Sacred Treasures of St. Gregory of Narek, by Michael Papazian: https://litpress.org/Products/8501/The-Doctor-of-Mercy A collection of books about St. Gregory of Narek, including the above: https://litpress.org/Products/SGNSET/The-Works-of-St-Gregory-of-Narek The English translation of St. Gregory's book of prayers: The Book of Lamentations: https://www.amazon.com/dp/9993085340  SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's Newsletter:  https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters/ DONATE at:  http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio Dr. Papandrea's Homepage:  http://www.jimpapandrea.com Dr. Papandrea's YouTube channel, The Original Church: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalChurch To ask questions, make comments, or interact with Dr. Papandrea, join the conversation in the Original Church Community: https://theoriginalchurch.locals.com/ Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:  https://www.ccwatershed.org/  

Arab states meet in Riyadh today. Christians in Jerusalem are fighting a new push by the city's municipality to pursue disputed taxes. Syria is eyeing a way forward for the country's vastly fractured military factions. This episode features Hamza Hendawi, Lizzie Porter, and Thomas Helm.

Համայնքային Յայտարարութիւն Աւստրալիոյ եւ Նոր Զելանտայի Հայոց Առաջնորդարանին կողմէ: Community announcement from the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand.

In light of the rising tide of anti-Jewish attacks and demonstrations around the world, Patrick shares this morning's Wall Street Journal editorial regarding antisemitism and issues his own stirring denunciation of Jew hatred, and urges Christians to stand up for unjustly persecuted groups like the Jews.  Tina - Should I disinvite a distant relative who claims to be a medium to our Easter Celebration? Kelly - How can Bishops lift the obligation during Covid and then reinstate it as a mortal sin if you miss it later? (06:05) The Global War on the Jews: Anti-Semitism surges, even in the West, which shows why Israel exists. (20:05) Macaria – Is it sinful to wear Jesus and pope costumes? James - It seems like the devil is trying to divide us making us upset at each other. Margaret - If I take my rosary to adoration, can I ask Jesus to Bless my rosary and not have to ask a priest to bless it? Anna - Why in the Mass is it forbidden to consecrate only one species? Amy - I work as a nurse and need to work a lot of weekends. How can I fulfill my Sunday obligation? Ann - I went to a Mass where there were relics on the Alter. Is that okay for Mass? Joan - I have been praying for the Armenian Church which is being persecuted by Hamas in a different area. That is a good example of them going to Catholics. Rose - Is it okay to buy lottery tickets from vending machines? Geri - Can Angels ready our minds?

The Key of Truth is a fascinating book, written by a sect of Armenian Unitarian Christians in the 1700s. Originally under Muslim rule, this group of Christians migrated to Russian-controlled Armenia in the nineteenth century. Sadly, they faced investigation, persecution, fines, and probably exile at the hands of the Armenian Church authorities. Although lost to history, this group of twenty-five families lives on in their intriguing and bold surviving text--the Key of Truth. Translated into English by Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare, this book testifies to a biblical unitarian community trying to survive in a hostile environment. Here's the original paper (available to read online or to download as a pdf) that accompanied this presentation. It delves into the proposal that the Key of Truth was actually a medieval Paulician document. I conclude that the arguments of Conybeare (19th c.) and Garsoïan (20th c.) fail to stand up to scrutiny, especially in light of the work of Hamilton (20th c.) and Ohanjanyan (21st c.). Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4hQa-3g_YE —— Links —— Read the Key of Truth for yourself (Conybeare translation) See my original paper (available to read online or to download as a pdf)  More Restitutio resources on Christian history Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

This is part 21 of the Early Church History class. In the fifth century Christians waged a theological civil war that ended in a massive church split. The issue was over the dual natures of Christ. How was he both divine and human? Did he have a human soul and a divine soul? Did his two natures fuse into one new nature? Although such abstruse distinctions would hardly get anyone's blood boiling today, these doctrinal distinctives resulted in a zero sum war for supremacy involving not only theological argumentation, but also political conniving and outright gangster tactics in the battles that led to the famous Council of Chalcedon in 451. Though church history textbooks often whitewash this period of theological creativity, this episode will give you a brief but unapologetic overview of the major players and their deeds in the dual natures controversy. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKQafdCPXAk&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=21&pp=iAQB —— Links —— More Restitutio resources on Christian history See other classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Options for Two Natures Athanasius (c. 357) affirmed Jesus as God and man but did not explain how the natures united. He called Mary Theotokos (God-bearer). Apollinarius of Laodicea (d. 382) said the Word became flesh without assuming a human mind (Apollinarianism). Gregory of Nazianzus (d. 390) condemned Apollinarius and said that what God has not assumed, he has not healed. Eutyches of Constantinople (380-456) said the divine and human natures combined to form one new nature (Eutychianism/Monophysitism) Nestorius (c. 429) denied Mary as Theotokos, calling her instead Christotokos, and allegedly taught that Christ had two distinct natures in two persons (Nestorianism/dyophysitism). Leo I said Christ had two natures united in person, though the two natures remained distinct (Chalcedonian dyophysitism). Condemning John Chrysostom John Chrysostom represented the Antiochene school of thought (as opposed to the Alexandrian). 397 Chrysostom became bishop of Constantinople. Eudoxia, wife of the emperor Arcadius, worked with Theophilus of Alexandria to depose Chrysostom. 403 Synod of the Oak deposed Chrysostom. 404 Chrysostom exiled. 407 Chrysostom marched to death Condemning Nestorius 428 Nestorius became bishop of Constantinople. He immediately began persecuting “heretics” as a defender of orthodoxy. 429 Anastasius of Antioch preached in Constantinople that no one should call Mary Pulcheria, sister of emperor Theodosius II, worked with Cyril of Alexandria to depose Nestorius. 431 1st Council of Ephesus deposed Nestorius. Condemning Flavian 446 Flavian became bishop of Constantinople. 448 Held a synod that interrogated and condemned Eutyches 449 2nd Council of Ephesus reinstated Eutyches and condemned Flavian. Dioscorus of Alexandria instigated violence against Flavian that resulted in his death. Known to history as the “Robber Synod” Chalcedon 450 Theodosius II fell from his horse and died, leaving Pulcheria, his sister the nun, to marry Marcian, the new emperor. 451 Marcian and Pulcheria called the council at Chalcedon to reverse the 2nd Council of Ephesus and depose Dioscorus. Pope Leo's tome was read and accepted. After much debate, they codified the definition of Chalcedon, declaring Mary as Theotokos and Christ as having two natures in one person. When Nestorius read Leo's tome, he agreed with him and called it orthodox. Several important groups of churches, both Nestorian and Monophysite, rejected Chalcedon, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Armenia, Syria, and Persia. Review Deciding how the divine and human natures worked in Christ became the chief focus for many Christians in the fifth century. Apollinarius of Laodice proposed that the logos (Word) replaced the human mind, the rational part of the soul, in Christ (Apollinarianism). Eutyches proposed that Christ was one nature after the union of the divine and human (monophysitism). Pope Leo I said the two natures retained their distinctive characters in the one person of Christ (dyophysitism). Nestorius allegedly taught that the two natures in Christ were not united in one person (Nestorianism), though this was probably a misrepresentation of Cyril of Alexandria. Powerful Alexandrian bishops worked with powerful empresses to outmaneuver and depose Constantinopolitan bishops John Chrysostom in 404 and Nestorius in 431. Nestorius tried to steer people away from calling Mary Theotokos (God-bearer) by calling her Christotokos (Christ-bearer), but this offended many. Alexandrian bishops from Theophilus to Cyril to Dioscorus increasingly used gangster tactics to intimidate, coerce, beat, and even kill their theological-political opponents. The Chalcedonian definition of 451 condemned Nestorius and Eutyches while endorsing Cyril and Leo, promoting a diophysite statement of two natures in one person, united but not confused. Though trumpeted as "orthodox", Chalcedon alienated a huge portion of Christianity, including the Coptic Church, Ethiopian Church, Syrian Church, Armenian Church, and Assyrian Church.

Father Garabed Kochakian has authored several books for the Diocesan Department of Christian Education about Ecumenism in the Armenian Church and published books on Art and Iconography in the Armenian Church. As a specialist in Armenian Sacred Art and Theology, Father Garabed presently delivers lectures on Armenian Art, Illuminated manuscripts, and Armenian Ecclesiastical Architecture to various groups and parishes of the Diocese and for universities. In addition, he conducts Illuminated manuscript painting workshops for adults and children. He has painted Icons for seven of the parishes in the Eastern Diocese and continues to paint Icons and Illuminations in the Armenian tradition.​ In this episode, Father Garabed and I discussed the images, objects, and architecture of our shared Armenian Apostolic Christianity.

Bible Study: (2:35) Heb 2:5-12 Father explains his pro-Talmudic reading of today's text Mk 1:21-28 What does it mean to teach with authority?  What's the best way to rebuke the Devil?  Letters (19:11) - Can Father explain the 'Come Holy Spirit' prayer (33:44) - There is a parishioner wears a shirt that says 'protect trans kids.' What should I do?   Word of the Day: Hierarchy (39:21) Callers (43:59) - How to judge rightly in terms of giving money to priests? (47:16) - Husband and I going on a cruise, and one of the Sundays, we're not going to be able to go to mass.  Is that okay? (48:52) - A friend is w/the Armenian Church, he goes to communion at the Catholic Church, is that okay, or how to advise him?

*) Ukraine's Zelenskyy says Russian strike at school killed about 60 Sixty civilians have died in the bombing of a school in eastern Ukraine's Lugansk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is appalled by the reported attack which hit a school where many people were apparently seeking shelter from the ongoing fighting. Guterres reiterated, in a statement, that civilians and civilian infrastructure must always be spared in times of war. *) Putin to mark Soviet Union's WW2 victory over Nazi Germany President Vladimir Putin will lead anniversary celebrations of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany as Russian forces fight Ukrainians in one of the deadliest European conflicts since World War Two. Putin has in recent years used Victory Day to needle the West from a tribune in Red Square before a parade of troops, tanks, rockets and ballistic missiles. *) Philippines votes for new president in 'most consequential election' Filipinos have begun voting for a new president with the son of an ousted dictator and a champion of reforms and human rights as top contenders. Monday's election pits Vice President Leni Robredo against former senator and congressman Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of a dictator. Opinion polls put Marcos, popularly known as "Bongbong", leading his rival by over 30 percentage points, having topped every poll this year. *) Dozens killed in 'CODECO militia' raid on DRC gold mine Raiders have killed at least 35 people in an attack on a gold mine in Ituri, in Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said. One local official of the rural Mungwalu settlement in Djugu, Ituri, said the militia carried out the attack on the artisanal mine. 29 bodies had been retrieved, while another six burnt bodies had been found buried at the site. And, finally... *) Türkiye inaugurates renovated Armenian church in Diyarbakir Türkiye has officially reopened a 16th-century Armenian church that had been damaged by terrorists before restoration by the Turkish government. Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said everyone “shares the excitement” of the renovated Armenian Church in Diyarbakir which will reopen for worship. The historic church in Diyarbakir's Sur district was damaged by PKK terrorist attacks in 2015.

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Narrated By Bishop Daniel Findikyan Produced by Vardan Sargsyan ISBN: 978-0-934728-05-8 “We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, in his thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of America's Eastern Diocese. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's classic vision of the Church in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today presents a vision for his flock that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church's mission, rooted in the richly fertile soil of her culture and tradition. Bishop Daniel's message to individual faithful, local church parishes and the Diocese overall is ambitious in scope and urgent in tone. His heartfelt exhortation concludes with practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance. “We want our Church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia's Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our Church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”

For a list of the Prayer Hours of the Armenian Church and their associated dedications and themes, visit this link: https://express.adobe.com/page/4bix6dUtYPGwY/Find more episodes and more information about parish and programs at https://stjohnarmenianchurch.com/janabar.Intro and Outro music samples rendition of Bari Aragil by Emin Baghoomian, available on https://soundcloud.com.

Why do people celebrate Christmas on different days? What does Christmas look like in the Armenian Church? Karin and Lori help us answer these questions.

Interview with George Najarian about the activities and future plans of the Armenian Church Youth of Australia. - Հարցազրոյց Ճորճ Նաճարեանի հետ, Աւստրալահայ Եկեղեցւոյ Երիտասարդաց Միութեան գործունէութեան և ձեռնարկներու մասին:

Learn the "why's" behind the "what's" in the Armenian Church.  

Christina Maranci is one of the world's foremost scholars of Armenian sacred art. She has played an inestimable role in the display and understanding of the arts of the Armenian Church—which dates back to the fourth century. She and Peter discuss the sacred arts, how these can properly be displayed in a museum, how churches become consecrated, and a host of other great things.

What does it take to become a priest in the Armenian Apostolic Church and what role does language play in the process? In this episode, Dr. K is joined by the Parish Priest of St. John Armenian Apostolic Church, Father Mesrop Ash, to explore the different roles within the Armenian Church and understand the various procedures and processes behind ordination. For more, visit armenian.usc.edu.

Gwyn's sharing how many of the New Testament men lived out the great commission, enduring persecution even to the point of death. Find us on Facebook and Instagram Sign up for our newsletter here Send us a message to openthewordpodcast@gmail.com Peter requested to be crucified upside down. Both Peter and Paul were both eventually martyred in Rome about 66 A.D., during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded by the sword. Peter was crucified upside down at his request, since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord. Philip had a far reaching ministry in Carthage North Africa and in Asia Minor. He converted the wife of a Roman proconsul who retaliated by having Philip arrested, scourged and thrown into prison. Afterwards he was crucified at Heliopolis, in Phrygia A.D. 54 Mattias who replaced the Betrayer Judas in the closed group of twelve apostles to Israel was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded. Mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria. Andrew was crucified by a Roman Proconsule on a X shaped cross. Andrew preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and in Greece and was crucified on an “X”-shaped cross. It is known today as St. Andrew's Cross. James who was the pastor of the Jerusalem church; step brother of Jesus and author of the Epistle died in 62 A.D., by his fellow brethren he tried so desperately to reach. The Sanhedrin Pharisees and Sadducees assembled demanding him to declare from the galleries that Jesus was not the Messiah. He went to the roof and instead of blaspheming the name he shouted out Jesus is the Son of God and judge of the world. Enraged the Jews hurled him off the temple he was then beaten and as he was stoned He prayed as Jesus did, “Father forgive them they know not what they do.” He finally had his life ended with a club. James the son of Zebedee was beheaded, this is recorded in Acts 12:1-3: “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also.” Simon the Zealot was ministering in Persia, and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god according to Foxes book of Martyrs Bartholomew(Nathaniel) ministered in Asia Minor and India. Armenian Church claimed him as their founder. tradition of the church suggests he was flayed alive in Armenia. Matthew(Levi) went to Persia, Macedonia, Syria, Parthia, Media, and Ethiopia bringing good news to Kings. Thomas traveled to India, suggested that he died by Spear for his faith. James the less(son of Alphaeus): tradition suggests that he was crucified in the Sinai or in Persia or stoned to death in Jerusalem. John the Beloved was the only disciple not to be martyred. Died in Ephesus at about 100 AD. Cared for Mary till her death. led the church from Ephesus in later times. Resources Mentioned: The Voice of the Martyrs Fox's Book of the Martyrs

In today's program, I speak with Richard E. Antaramian about his recent monograph, Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire: Armenians and the Politics of Reform in the Ottoman Empire (Stanford University Press, 2020).  In Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire, Antaramian shows that the Armenian Church and clergy--spread across the empire in a vast ecclesiastical network--played an important role in the application of Ottoman reform programs during the mid-nineteenth century. His main intervention to the scholarship is to show that Armenians were not uniformly opposed to Ottoman centralization. Furthermore, Through his study of the Armenian Church, he challenges the well-known paradigm of "center and periphery" by offering a networked model of empire. For experts and novices alike, this book will not only offer a compelling new perspective into Ottoman and Armenian history, but also surprise you with new insights on Kurdish-Armenian relations in Eastern Anatolia in the 19th century. Deren Ertas is a PhD student in the joint program in History and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. You can reach her on Twitter @drnrts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In today's program, I speak with Richard E. Antaramian about his recent monograph, Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire: Armenians and the Politics of Reform in the Ottoman Empire (Stanford University Press, 2020).  In Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire, Antaramian shows that the Armenian Church and clergy--spread across the empire in a vast ecclesiastical network--played an important role in the application of Ottoman reform programs during the mid-nineteenth century. His main intervention to the scholarship is to show that Armenians were not uniformly opposed to Ottoman centralization. Furthermore, Through his study of the Armenian Church, he challenges the well-known paradigm of "center and periphery" by offering a networked model of empire. For experts and novices alike, this book will not only offer a compelling new perspective into Ottoman and Armenian history, but also surprise you with new insights on Kurdish-Armenian relations in Eastern Anatolia in the 19th century. Deren Ertas is a PhD student in the joint program in History and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. You can reach her on Twitter @drnrts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

In today's program, I speak with Richard E. Antaramian about his recent monograph, Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire: Armenians and the Politics of Reform in the Ottoman Empire (Stanford University Press, 2020).  In Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire, Antaramian shows that the Armenian Church and clergy--spread across the empire in a vast ecclesiastical network--played an important role in the application of Ottoman reform programs during the mid-nineteenth century. His main intervention to the scholarship is to show that Armenians were not uniformly opposed to Ottoman centralization. Furthermore, Through his study of the Armenian Church, he challenges the well-known paradigm of "center and periphery" by offering a networked model of empire. For experts and novices alike, this book will not only offer a compelling new perspective into Ottoman and Armenian history, but also surprise you with new insights on Kurdish-Armenian relations in Eastern Anatolia in the 19th century. Deren Ertas is a PhD student in the joint program in History and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. You can reach her on Twitter @drnrts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In today's program, I speak with Richard E. Antaramian about his recent monograph, Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire: Armenians and the Politics of Reform in the Ottoman Empire (Stanford University Press, 2020).  In Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire, Antaramian shows that the Armenian Church and clergy--spread across the empire in a vast ecclesiastical network--played an important role in the application of Ottoman reform programs during the mid-nineteenth century. His main intervention to the scholarship is to show that Armenians were not uniformly opposed to Ottoman centralization. Furthermore, Through his study of the Armenian Church, he challenges the well-known paradigm of "center and periphery" by offering a networked model of empire. For experts and novices alike, this book will not only offer a compelling new perspective into Ottoman and Armenian history, but also surprise you with new insights on Kurdish-Armenian relations in Eastern Anatolia in the 19th century. Deren Ertas is a PhD student in the joint program in History and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. You can reach her on Twitter @drnrts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

In today's program, I speak with Richard E. Antaramian about his recent monograph, Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire: Armenians and the Politics of Reform in the Ottoman Empire (Stanford University Press, 2020).  In Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire, Antaramian shows that the Armenian Church and clergy--spread across the empire in a vast ecclesiastical network--played an important role in the application of Ottoman reform programs during the mid-nineteenth century. His main intervention to the scholarship is to show that Armenians were not uniformly opposed to Ottoman centralization. Furthermore, Through his study of the Armenian Church, he challenges the well-known paradigm of "center and periphery" by offering a networked model of empire. For experts and novices alike, this book will not only offer a compelling new perspective into Ottoman and Armenian history, but also surprise you with new insights on Kurdish-Armenian relations in Eastern Anatolia in the 19th century. Deren Ertas is a PhD student in the joint program in History and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. You can reach her on Twitter @drnrts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

I talk about leaving the Armenian Church, the sinister coronavirus vaccination campaign, the decline of medical doctors, disturbing transgender propaganda, angry signs from God, the latest pronouncements from evil henchman Klaus Schwab, and a lot more. Check out my new book: https://www.rooshv.com/american-pilgrim If you're enjoying my podcasts, consider making a donation: https://bitly.com/donate-to-roosh Read new articles on my blog: https://www.rooshv.com Join the community at Roosh V Forum: https://www.rooshvforum.com

I talk about leaving the Armenian Church, the sinister coronavirus vaccination campaign, the decline of medical doctors, disturbing transgender propaganda, angry signs from God, the latest pronouncements from evil henchman Klaus Schwab, and a lot more. Check out my new book: https://www.rooshv.com/american-pilgrim If you're enjoying my podcasts, consider making a donation: https://bitly.com/donate-to-roosh Read new articles on my blog: https://www.rooshv.com Join the community at Roosh V Forum: https://www.rooshvforum.com

A short disclaimer: We are two friends. The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not represent the views of the Armenian Church, the Armenian Church hierarchy, or any Armenian Church parish. Our intention is to record the weekly Gospel readings as chanted in the Armenian church and spark discussion around the Gospel readings themselves.

Bill interviews Bishop Daniel Findikyan about the Armenian Church and the Eastern Diocese's “Building Up the Body of Christ” vision.

Bill interviews Bishop Daniel Findikyan about the Armenian Church and the Eastern Diocese’s “Building Up the Body of Christ” vision.

https://westminster-institute.org/events/challenges-facing-christian-communities-in-turkey-today/ Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian is a sociologist (with a particular reference to sociology of religion) and Associate Faculty Member of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. He has published extensively and lectures on minorities in contemporary Middle East; inter-ethnic conflicts in the Caucasus, the Armenian Church, Diaspora, and Turkish-Armenian relations. From 2002 to 2012 he taught and held various positions at University of Cambridge, and was co-founder of the Eurasia Research Centre at Judge Business School. Dr. Tchilingirian is the author of numerous studies, articles and publications and has lectured internationally in leading universities, academic institutions and international NGOs (see www.hratch.info). His television, radio and newspaper interviews have appeared in international media outlets, including the New York Times, Financial Times, BBC News, Al-Jazeera and Radio Vaticana. A transcript is unavailable for this talk. Dr. Tchilingirian’s remarks will be a chapter of Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East (eds. Mitri Raheb and Mark A. Lamport). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2021.

Episode 20 focuses on the changing face of the Armenian Church in the time of COVID. Our guests are Archpriest Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian of Saint Stephens Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Boston and a Nakhgin Sbarabed of Ararat Lodge No. 1 in Boston and Archpriest Rev. Fr. Sarkis Petoyan of Saint Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Pasadena, a member of Ghevont Lodge No. 26 in Pasadena. They discuss the challenges the Armenian Church has faced in responding to the COVID pandemic. Among the topics are the use of technology for streaming services, the financial challenges brought on by the pandemic, as well as the role of the pastor in providing comfort and hope in this time of stress and uncertainty. Hosted and produced by Asbed David Medzorian of Ararat Lodge No. 1 in Boston.

Education expert tells why current government creates bottlenecks for Armenian Church and blocks Armenian language classes

All of us experience pain, suffering, and harm and are in common need of a Healer. What does healing mean in the Armenian Church's understanding and who is our ultimate healer?

Greetings! Welcome to the show! As, always, it is good to have you with us and we sincerely appreciate your tuning in to Lechem Panim. Lechem Panim is the Hebrew phrase for the bread of the presence of God that was in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. And it represented the reality that what we need for everyday life (bread) is found in the presence of God. And Jesus (who called Himself the Bread of Life) was saying that in Him we can have life. And so each week we seek to draw closer to Him through His word so that we can eat that Bread ourselves; but also so that we might share that Bread with the world. Kreisler's Violin-- I'd like to open today with a story I read some time ago. [Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase the beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.”] It Must Be Shared-- I find it so fascinating how strongly Christianity is associated with music. From the earliest days of Christianity, Christians were known to be men and women who were singing. Other religions have music to some degree, but nothing in comparison to Christianity. There is something about Christianity that (whether through proclamation or through music) is not content to remain in storage. It must be shared; it must be declared; it must be proclaimed. The invitation of Jesus is to “Come and See”. But what we find in scripture is that those who “Come and See” also “Go and Tell”. And this is where we find Philip. Philip has caught the music; he has encountered Jesus. And he has to go and tell the world; and he begins with those closest to him, which includes Nathanael. It says in… John 1:45a (NIV)-- 45 Philip found Nathanael… Nathanael/Bartholomew-- Now Nathanael (or Bartholomew), as he is sometimes referred to (Bartholomew simply means “son of Tholomaios”; Bartholomew simply reveals to us who his father was), [is linked with Philip in all three Synoptic lists of apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14).] There is a close relationship between these two disciples, which we talked about before. And because of that close relationship, Philip wants Nathanael to know the same hope that he himself has found in this Rabbi named Jesus. So it says in… John 1:45 (NIV)-- 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Philip's Witness-- Now here we see that [When Philip witnessed to Nathanael, the evidence he gave was Moses and the prophets (John 1:45). {We are not sure how Philip was able to connect all these dots. It has been suggested that} Perhaps Jesus gave Philip a “quick course” in the Old Testament messianic prophecies, as He did with the Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13ff.). {And if so, Philip then relays to Nathanael how Jesus is the fulfillment of those prophecies. And} It is always good to tie our personal witness to the Word of God.] But it is the last title that really throws Nathanael. It is the title Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. He responds… John 1:46a (NIV)— 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. A Region, A City, a Father of Bad Repute-- Now the reason that Nathanael reacts the way that he did was because the Messiah should be from a place like Jerusalem in Judea (somewhere important and religious; where the temple was). Now it would have been bad enough for Jesus to be from Galilee because of the unclean nature of Galilee in general (a place filled with Gentiles and Jews who were perceived to be sub-par because of their having mixed with the Gentiles. That would have been ridiculous enough. But Philip was saying not only that Jesus was from Galilee, but that Jesus was from Nazareth! Now [Nazareth did not have a bad reputation in Jesus' day, but neither did it have a famous reputation. It was a small south Galilee mountain village, a fraction of the size of the modern Arab Christian city {that we see today.] Possum-neck— Now what's the name of the town around here that whenever you want to make fun of a person for being from a small town, you say they are from there? In and around the city where I pastored my first church; Kosciusko, MS (which itself qualifies) was an even much smaller town called Possum-neck. And I'm not sure you can get smaller than Possum-neck, Mississippi. Before the great depression it got large enough to support it's own post office, but has long since faded from that not-so-glorious glory. But Jesus was from Possum-neck, Galilee. I mean this a tiny tiny town. You could throw a frisbee from one side to the other. I mean this place is so small, that for years secular historians and critics called us Christians neanderthalic boneheads and crazy for believing it even existed. But of course the ruins of Nazareth were then discovered. But you can't get more insignificant than Nazareth! It was the Possum-neck of Galilee. Two Skeptical Pharisees-- So Nathanael responds: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” And he's making a joke. “Okay Phillip, who stopped payment on your reality check?” And we probably see some town-rivalry here. I know you guys don't know what that is. It's when one place thinks they are better than another place. It is known in some places as sports. Now Nathanael is no doubt laughing at his own joke. He's very cynical. He's probably thinking, “Yeah, the more Nazarenes I meet, the more I like my dog.” He has a very low opinion of Nazareth. Philip's Invitation-- Now I love Philip because he doesn't suddenly start to explain or get into some sort of theological discussion or try to debate Nathanael. No his response is so simple; and is probably the greatest evangelistic and apologetic call that we can make in our witness for Christ. John 1:46b (NIV)— “Come and see,” said Philip. The Mirrored Call: “Come”-- And that invitation, [“Come and see” is the refrain heard the previous day in Judea (1:39) and now becomes Nathanael's challenge.] And this is the most effective method because it is the one that mirrors most closely the call of Christ Himself. Warren Wiersbe points out that [When Nathanael hesitated and argued, Philip adopted our Lord's own words: “Come and see” (John 1:39). Later on, Jesus would invite, “Come … and drink” (John 7:37), and, “Come and dine” (John 21:12). “Come” is the great invitation of God's grace.] Another author said, [Throughout the Gospel many people will be challenged to “come and see.” Conversion is not about knowledge alone; it is about coming yourself and appropriating a relationship with Jesus personally.] And the question we ought to ask ourselves is, “Have we truly come and experienced Christ personally?” “Do we know of Him; talk about Him? Or do we know Him? Do we talk with Him? The call of Christ is to come and know Him personally. The question is, “Is He personal for us?” The miracle that Jesus Christ offers us is the ability to (at any moment we choose) to come into the presence of God and find forgiveness, healing, and grace. And when we “come and see” our immediate response will be to go and tell what Christ has done for us; to take somebody else by the hand and lead them to Him. The Strongest Argument-- You know, I love studying the historical evidence of the truth of Christianity. I love the field of apologetics. But you know [The strongest argument for the Gospel of Christ is {not argument, but rather} the personal testimony of someone whose life has been changed by it. Charles Bradlaugh, an avowed infidel, once challenged the Rev. H.P. Hughes to a debate. The preacher, who was head of a rescue mission in London, England, accepted the challenge with the condition that he could bring with him 100 men and women who would tell what had happened in their lives since trusting Christ as their Savior. They would be people who once lived in deep sin, some having come from poverty-stricken homes caused by the vices of their parents. Hughes said they would not only tell of their conversion, but would submit to cross-examination by any who doubted their stories. Furthermore, the minister invited his opponent to bring a group of non-believers who could tell how they were helped by their lack of faith. When the appointed day arrived, the preacher came, accompanied by 100 transformed persons. But Bradlaugh never showed up. The result? The meeting turned into a testimony time and many sinners who had gathered to hear the scheduled debate were converted.] The greatest testimony we can have is showing how Christ has made a difference in our lives and inviting those we come into contact with to “Come and see” the Savior. People, Our Lasting Monuments-- You want to know what the impact of Nathanael's response to Philip's call to “Come and see” was? In later years he became [one of the Church's most adventurous missionaries. He is said to have preached with Philip in Phrygia and Hierapolis; also in Armenia. The Armenian Church claims him as its founder…], a Church of over 11,000,000 self-proclaimed members. Perhaps it is little wonder that Nathanael's name means “Gift of God”. To those of you who are listening today, I want to encourage you to not let Christ remain silent in your life. Let Him be played. Let people be able to hear the song sung through your life and hear in that melody the chord their own hearts have been searching for. And then invite them to “come and see” Jesus so that He might bring about that song in their own lives. Amen.

St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), Yonkers, NY, and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY, celebrated fifty years of collaboration with a special event Friday, October 11, on SVOTS' campus. The event included the annual Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture, delivered by SVOTS/St. Nersess Alumnus His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America and President of St. Nersess Seminary.

St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), Yonkers, NY, and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY, celebrated fifty years of collaboration with a special event Friday, October 11, on SVOTS' campus. The event included the annual Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture, delivered by SVOTS/St. Nersess Alumnus His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America and President of St. Nersess Seminary.

The Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6th. On this day, Armenians across the globe also celebrates the Epiphany which means the revelation that Jesus was God's Son. Armenian Church also celebrate Jesus's Baptism in river Jordan.

 “Origins of Armenian Church” The Kingdom of Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity as its official religion under the rule of King Tiridates in the early 4th century. According to tradition, the church originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1st century.

Join Glenn van Zutphen, as he speaks to Jane Iyer, owner of Jane’s Singapore Tours about this week's Beautiful Places, the Armenian Church!

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), Yonkers, NY, and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY, celebrated fifty years of collaboration with a special event Friday, October 11, on SVOTS’ campus. The event included the annual Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture, delivered by SVOTS/St. Nersess Alumnus His Grace, Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America and President of St. Nersess Seminary.

Abou this program : About Armenian church RJ : Hariharasudhan.R Channel : Tamil Yazh

Fr. Vazken Movsesian (@Fr_Vazken) is a priest of the Armenian Church and for the past four decades he has melded the most ancient traditions and practices of Armenian Orthodoxy with contemporary themes to bring about the promise of peace. In 2003, Fr. Vazken established the In His Shoes organization as a response to Genocide. He teaches that those who have suffered evil have a unique responsibility to take action against injustice to others.   Get the episode notes at http://www.ThrivingLifeClub.com/26  

Road to Healing – Lenten Journey 2014Day 18: Play Now: Direct Link for Download (right click and save link as...) There would soon be nothing to celebrate on Cinco de Mayo. It was in the year 2000 on May 5 that a young man named Raul Aguirre died outside his High School. In an effort to break-up a gang-related scuffle, Raul got caught in the mix and a knife meant for another boy killed him instead. Raul was not a gang member. He was a student. He was only 17 years old. All this took place directly across the street from the church where I serve as Pastor in Glendale, California. Our church had not yet opened in 2000 and so, I came to know Raul from the stories I heard, but more so from a demonstration of compassion, love and forgiveness offered by his mother, Leticia Aguirre. On that day, Raul was late coming home from school. The phone rang and she received the first news that her son had been hurt in a fight. Only three hours later, Raul died on an operating table. Mrs. Aguirre recounted, “That moment was the most horrible in my life…. I felt that I would die, but the worst is that I didn't die…”When we opened our Armenian Church and youth ministry center in 2003, the community was very much talking about this murder. The trial was underway. The minor tensions that existed between the Armenian and Latino communities were even more pronounced by some of the students at the school. The boys who killed Raul were Armenian. Day after grueling day of testimony Mrs. Aguirre attended the trial of her boy's killers. And then the unexpected happened, at least it was unexpected for me. In fact, so much so, that I invited her to come and speak at our church – to explain this unexpected event – to a sanctuary filled with Armenian women, men, mothers, fathers and children. She spoke in Spanish, we translated in English and Armenian, and everyone – yes, everyone – heard the story in a language called Love. “I wanted justice to be done,” said Mrs. Aguirre. “In court I saw the mothers of the gang members kissing crosses and praying to God to forgive their sons and I thought how difficult this must be for God.” But when Rafael Gevorgyan, one of three gang members being tried begged for Mrs. Aguirre's forgiveness on the final day of his trial, she gave it to him. “I saw a boy, almost a child, in a situation so grave asking for forgiveness,” she said. “I felt huge compassion and huge tenderness.” As we move toward healing, we assume that the wounds of life will be closed and repaired. Some of our hurt and pain is so intense that they may never go away, but healing is not about forgetting. Healing is about completing. It's about finding the supernatural miracle, that is, rising above the expected and achieving the spectacular. Forgiveness is supernatural. Forgiveness is going beyond the expected and therefore the result is spectacular. It's healing and completing. Mrs. Aguirre's actions were supernatural, that is, they rose above the expected argument of hatred and acknowledged the power of love. There's not much higher healing than this. On our Road to Healing we stop to reflect today on yet another lesson in the art of healing through forgiveness. Our illness, our disease and misunderstandings come in many forms and shapes. To be healed we need to rise above the expected to achieve the spectacular. You're looking for a healing. You've asked for a healing. Now ask yourself, how can I make this happen by rising above the expected? By being greater than the natural, that is, by being supernatural? Is there room for love and forgiveness in my life and if I opt for them, is there healing? I look forward to meeting with you again tomorrow as we continue on the Road to Healing. Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netMore about Raul Aguirre at http://7x77.orgGet A Lenten Journey with Fr. Vazken delivered by emailView in iTunesNow Playing on BluBrry

Often Christians assume that depression or anxiety are caused by lack of faith in God’s providence or ungratefulness for God’s blessings. More tragically, some assume that these disorders are punishment for sinfulness. Fr. Mesrop Ash reflects on his personal journey and ways one can seek and receive help in the Armenian Church.

In this episode, we explore common Mental Health issues, and how we as members of the Armenian Church can respond to them. This episode features Anthony Saroyan, a doctoral candidate at USF, focusing on Psychology Education. He discusses with Fr. Mesrop, how to identify common mental health issues, and also his research regarding stigma of Mental Health treatment in the Armenian Community. MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES IN SF: http://www.mhbsf.org/resources/ National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Find us at stjohnarmenianchurch.com. Personal views expressed by the host or guests of this podcast do not necessarily reflect the those of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Introduction music is by Iakovos Kolanian, entitled "Vagharshapati." Transition music by Armenian Public Radio, entitled "Pari Arakil".

Fr Louis Scurti interviews Fr Hovnan Dermejian, Pastor of St. Hagop Armenian CHurch, St. Petersburg, FL

Fr Louis Scurti interviews Fr Hovnan Dermejian, Pastor of St. Hagop Armenian CHurch, St. Petersburg, FL

Fr Louis Scurti interviews Fr Hovnan Dermejian, Pastor of St. Hagop Armenian CHurch, St. Petersburg, FL

Fr Louis Scurti interviews Fr Hovnan Dermejian, Pastor of St. Hagop Armenian CHurch, St. Petersburg, FL

AVEDIS is the weekly Gospel reading series of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, hosted by Fr. Tateos Abdalian.

AVEDIS is the weekly Gospel reading series of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, hosted by Fr. Tateos Abdalian.

AVEDIS is the weekly Gospel reading series of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, hosted by Fr. Tateos Abdalian.

AVEDIS is the weekly Gospel reading series of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, hosted by Fr. Tateos Abdalian.

AVEDIS is the weekly Gospel reading series of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, hosted by Fr. Tateos Abdalian.

AVEDIS is the weekly Gospel reading series of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, hosted by Fr. Tateos Abdalian.

In the first episode of the Bread & Salt podcast, Fr. Daniel Findikyan talks about his book, Frequently-Asked Questions on the Badarak, and addresses some common questions about the Armenian Church's worship service.

Road to Healing – Lenten Journey 2014Day 39: Play Now: No doubt many of you have passed by an art gallery with a quick glance in and then continued to walk.Art either talks to you or it doesn't. When I walk past a gallery, curiosity is the first lure that gets me to glance at the work in the window. And then, there's a quick assessment. Do I like what I see or not? I'm a sucker for the surrealists, so even a small Salvador Dali in the corner will get me to walk through the door. But once I'm in I'm pretty quick on deciding whether I'm going to spend some time looking at the pieces or not. My attention span is pretty short in general and even shorter when I don't get the artwork. I know this is an age issue. When you're younger you can find more time to look, evaluate and even pretend you understand some of the stuff. But at this point in my life, I know what I like and if I don't, I don't mean any disrespect but I just walk away. I'm usually not critical of the artwork, realizing that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but on a few occasions I have mumbled under my breath a question or two about the validity of the work as “art.” There is one gallery, though, that I have never been able to pass without stopping by for a look. I'd venture to say that many of you share my same experience. It happens every time I look out that large window that extends to the edge of my peripheral vision and captures the sunset. And though I've seen hundreds, perhaps thousands of sunsets, I never tire of casting a look and letting my imagination be pulled down the horizon as it marks the end of the day. Sometimes I'm lucky, especially at the beach. Clouds will cover parts of the Sun, making for streamers that rise to the heavens. Other times it combines with the atmosphere to produce colors so unique and subtly different from the standard chart of colors. Have you ever noticed, you can never capture a sunset exactly on film or on canvas? You can come close to mimicking the colors, but never an exact copy. Each sunset is a beautiful combination of fire, clouds, atmosphere and the hand of God. Different shapes and diffusions decorate this artwork from the master of all eternity. Each sunset points to the inevitable truth of our life, namely that time moves forward and we are called to value each moment in that movement. As the sun moves on its path below the horizon, we realize that the moment and the day will never come back. Enjoy the moment for what it is. And as your mind goes for the ride below the horizon your imagination is called upon to dream of tomorrow. From the sunset we understand that the past is completely guaranteed. No question about it: it happened. The present is happening; you are given a chance to enjoy as brief as it may be. And the future? It's completely and totally unknown. You can plan, work, sweat, toil and struggle for a bright future, but at some point you have to take it on faith that tomorrow will arrive and trust that you will be a part of it. A healthy lifestyle has this basic trust component built into it. Without this trust, there is no life. There is no guarantee that the Sun will rise tomorrow morning, but if each night you went to bed with the fear that it would not, you'd cease to function. Your time and energy would be consumed with unnecessary worry. Because the Sun has a strong track record, that is, every day of your life it has risen, and you have on good authority that it has done so for last several million years; you therefore assign a high level of trust to it. Not so with your illness though. Health – physical, emotional, mental – has let you down, so you've assigned a lower level of trustworthiness to it. Today is the day to move trust in your health up a few notches. We trust that there will be new sunrise tomorrow morning and with that we put our head on the pillow. What does it take to believe the same about life? Part of the healing process is to believe and trust in yourself and the life that has been created around you. All around you is the fingerprint – the artwork – of God. Your only response to it is to trust that your life is adorned and decorated by God.These past few weeks we have been on the Road to Healing and have tossed around many ideas. The lessons of each day are all predicated on trust. Just as a new sunrise tomorrow morning is unquestionable, so too the healthiness of your life must be trusted. Here is a prayer of healing from the Armenian Church,Lord our God, take away the pain and heal the sickness of your people. Grant them all complete health by the sign of your all-triumphant cross, by which you took away the frailty of the human race and condemned the adversary of our life and salvation. You are our life and salvation, O Merciful God. You alone are able to forgive sins and to drive pain and sickness out of us. And you know how to cure our afflictions. O Giver of good gifts, give your creatures the gift of your abundant mercy, each according to their needs. Let us always glorify and praise the all holy Trinity, Father, Son & Holy Spirit. I look forward to meeting with you tomorrow as we continue on the Road to Healing. Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netPhoto: Sunset over San Francisco (c)2005 Fr. Vazken MovsesianGet A Lenten Journey with Fr. Vazken delivered by emailView in iTunesNow Playing on BluBrry

Next Step #278: The historic Bishop's Synod of the Armenian Church, took place behind closed doors as is the perogative of the overseers of the Church. Here's a follow-up to last weeks' look at the Synod, filled with frustrations for us looking-in, but also a wonderful opportunity to look at the Sacred Mission entrusted to us. "Yelp" and the opportunity to use technology to go beyond those closed-doors. The 140 characters and the concise nature of the Gospels. Prayer request for Abp. Mesrob Mutafyan, Patriarch of Constantinople. And much more - as Fr. Vazken takes a next step... Vardan Ovsepian "Hymn" from Aragast album Etchmiadzin on the Bishop's Synod SunSash - http://www.sunsash.blogspot.com/Yelp - http://www.yelp.com Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! Play Now: 

Next Step #273: 50 years after Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Kings Jr's "I have a Dream Speech," Fr. Vazken shares some thoughts and offers a challenge to dream of peace - bringing about peace without the use of violence. With the imminent threat of war in Syria, a candid look at our faith - do we really believe that we can overcome evil with love? Do we believe there are non-violent alternatives to threats of death and annihilation? Also a discussion of chickens and headless existence (in the context of the Armenian Church and Armodoxy)Song: "Dream Song" by Joan Baez The SpeechTranscript: http://www.inhisshoes.org/documents/MLK_dream.pdfHarry Hagopian Podcast MENA: http://www.premier.org.uk/menaProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! Play Now: 

Compass #38: Linda Zadoian appears on an addition of "Armenian Christianity Today" with Fr. Vazken (episode #12) in which they discuss the Relevancy in the Armenian Church. This is an audio rebroadcast of ACT#12, originally aired 7/21/2013 on USArmenia.We love to hear from our listeners.  Please address questions and comments to compass@epostle.netProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for Compass on Blubrry.comSubscribe to Compass by EmailGet Compass on iTunesPlay Now: 

Next Step #261: The symbiotic relationship between man and woman, Church and Christ are revealed during a Glendale wedding. Listen in as Fr. Vazken shares a story within a story. The tragedy of not forgiving and not moving forward - it effects more than you might imagine. Prayers for the graduate coming up.Song: Sarkis Kazaryan, Rachmaninoff  Anush's Pomegranate Seed: "What's Hair Got to Do with It?" Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! 

Next Step #247: Pope Benedict XVI's Twitter account puts up a vacancy sign "Sede Vacant" minutes after his last Tweet. Dynamic/Alive -It's all about moving forward. A healthy understanding to the Roman Catholic Church, for the Orthodox Christian - an Armodoxy view. Peter the Rock and the Confessional Rock: Christ the Center. Sunrise "Arevakal" Confession - "The Way, the Truth and the Life, Christ"Anush's Pomegranate Seeds: "Loving Divorce"Song: Armenian Public Radio "Retrograde" Apostolic Succession in the Armenian Church Pope Benedict's Tweets Archived Lenten Journey: http://armodoxy.blogspot.comSun Sash: http://sunsash.blogspot.comProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! 

Next Step #245: Using symbols and myths to explain the mysteries in life gets a bit confusing when Armenian churches light some bonfires in the back yard. Mid Winter. Purification, Presentation, Valentine's and Adam & Eve all come together for today's show. The Pope's resignation begs the question of running the Perfect Body of Christ with imperfect people. Stripping away the imperfections and finding the bulls-eye in the middle of our faith. "There's something beautiful in the Armenian Church but..." was the general consensus last week, and this week there's more. The Curtain in the Armenian Church - and how we have become the curtain -the reason for separation from paradise. In New Mexico - figuring out the Catholic Church and in Paradise figuring out Adam & Eve's identity. It's about time the Armenian alphabet adds a "th" and "w" sound. All in this week's edition.Anush's Pomegranate Seed: "Amazing Love" Song: Schubert - Grammy Award Winning artist Kim KashkashianKim Kashkashian Grammy Award More on  Life, Love & Sayat Nova - Next Step #35 10 Worst Popes of All Time Lenten Journey - www.armodoxy.blogspot.com Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! 

Next Step #241: Datev Outreach Coordinator, Anna Gasparian, is in studio for a briefing on a Christ-centered ministry to combat domestic violence through the Armenian Church. This all during a weekend which calls for societal change from the memory of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to President Barack Obama's second inaugural.  Working to bring sanctity to the family in a holistic manner.  Datev Outreach: http://datevoutreach.orgAnush's Pomegrante Seeds - "Activism" - I'm not buying apathy! Song: "White, Brown, Black" by Brownie McGhee Aaron Schwartz passes away - RSS Feed Codeveloper. The First time Barack Obama was sworn into officeKindred Spirits - MLK & John the Baptist Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! Fr. Vazken and Anna Gasparian in studio

Compass #33: From repatriation ideas evolves a discussion about identity that goes beyond ethnicity to the Kingdom of God. This is an experiment in Armodoxy exploration - unfolding and evolving. The dilemma of the Greeks, Russians, Bulgarians, et al. Warning: Fr. Vazken & Linda engage in a conversation that is not for the faint at heart.Links: Sun Sash re: BelongingNext Step #212- non-Armenians in Armenian ChurchWe love to hear from our listeners.  Please address questions and comments to compass@epostle.netProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for Compass on Blubrry.com Subscribe to Compass by EmailGet Compass on iTunesPlay Now:

Next Step #231: Extending the concept of "undanik" to "under heaven" in understanding the family of God (Storm Sandy and walking In His Shoes). Fr. Vazken explains that Matthew 12:46-50 is not a lesson in biology as rude as it may seem. Extending Christian values and Church to Genocides and wars in Darfur and Syria as well as the death in our own backyards via In His Shoes. The Obama Victory: The silly-willy Armenian politics that bark at the caravan. "As for me," says Fr. Vazken, "I was there with Obama - no brag, just fact." Youth and the Church - the problem beyond Armenian Church. More on the crimes of the priest who was defrocked. Grandpa & FDR Democrats/Grandma' baklava for James Roosevelt - it was her thanks for the last station of the caravan.Sermon: "Politics, God & the Kingdom"   Song: "Caravan" by Armen Chamakian  Obama's Acceptance SpeechSun Sash: http://sunsash.blogspot.com Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! 

Next Step #230: Nietzche's formula for cheer applied to the Armenian Church via Armodoxy. Fr. Vazken's "Protest Manual" is revealed talking about effective protest and ill-fated varieties against the establishment. Bringing about change from within and not without. The imperfect-perfect Body of Christ. Challenges to the disenfranchised members of the Armenian Church community. Unveiling of the Datev Outreach program. Celebrating Halloween the Armodoxy way.Get Sun Sash FREE - www.SunSash.blogspot.comUnveiling: http://DatevOutreach.orgWindow article: http://acrag.wordpress.com/1991/06/ Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! 

Next Step #228: Patriarch Torkom Manoogian passes; Guest Commentary by Dr. Harry Hagopian. Politics in the Church? Never more pronounced - While a priest who brings people to the Armenian Church is defrocked, another clergyman who preaches non-Orthodox theology is granted a churchman's award. Make sense? The balance has tipped, more people checking off "None." Can Love be Irrelevant? Or are we not presenting it properly? Follow up to Ani Bubles' wedding. Song: "Armenian Medley" by Hosharian Bros. Band; "Electric Kef" Reflections on Patriarch Abp. Torkom Manoogian "Brandy & Honey with Our Tea" by Dr. Harry Hagopian Domestic Violence Walk: http://DatevOutreach.orgPew findings regarding "None" Religion Sun SashFr. Vazken's BlogProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio! 

Next Step #226: Where does morality - our sense of right and wrong - come from? Is it possible to have a morality apart from God? Armodoxy and the In His Shoes models hold some clues to the answer. The Road to In His Shoes and to Armodoxy is just as important as arriving there. The parable of the "Good Turk" can be heard by Jesus in the Armenian Church. Ayn Rand: "Morality has to be a rational science." Archbishop Baliozian enters Eternal RestAni's Bubbles: Two Frog http://bacheegsandlove.blogspot.com/Song: Calendar Express by The Dirty DiamondSun SashProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comNow on Stitcher Radio!

Next Step #212: Returning from a trip to Wisconsin, Fr. Vazken explores some of the challenges of a Virtual Church. The Importance of touch, action and empathy in the Christian equation. Interview with Fr. Nareg Keutelian, pastor of St. John the Baptist Armenian Church, on technology, the church and the phenomenon of non-ethnic Armenian Church members. Is this where Armodoxy is headed? In Milwaukee: http://milwaukeearmenians.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/one-sunday-three-priests-a-family-celebration-at-st-john/Song: "Antza Gnatzi" by Andranik Mouradian, Ethnic Sketches Window: http://acrag.wordpress.com/Fr. Vazken's Sermons: http://armenianorthodoxy.blogspot.com/Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.com

Next Step #204: The infrastructure of the Church - necessity or hindrance to its mission? More than an exploration, Fr. Vazken begins a needed discussion about the workings (and trappings) of the Church. Business is a means of actualizing the goal and in the case of the Church, profits are measured differently. The case of Fr. Barthev, brings an interesting sideline discussion about the "Mission" of the Armenian Church. Looking beyond "normalcy."Ani's Bubbles: The Dinner LetterSong: "Haneluk Es" by ShirazNPR story on Fr. Barthev: http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/05/01/32244/popular-armenian-priest-leaves-us-and-young-parish/ Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.com

Compass #24: This week’s Compass asks questions about making the connection between Genocide commemoration and the Armenian Church.• What can happen when the foreign concept of “bridge” enters our vocabulary describing the working of the Church?• Are we marginalizing the Church or making it relevant?• Can we change the concept of religiosity from freakishness to action?• Why do politics always win out over the spiritual?• What happens when community is taken out of the church and God is only wound-up on Sundays?• Reverend Father Gomidas. How do clergy of the Armenian Church become national figures?• Is incense the laughing gas of the church?The bottom line of this episode: The leadership has accepted the marginalization of the church while the people are looking for “the bridge.” Plus we get a glimpse of the beginning of incubation of the Armenian Church. Gestation period begins – is Armodoxy the product of in vitro fertilization?We love to hear from our listeners.  Please address questions and comments to compass@epostle.netProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for Compass on Blubrry.com Subscribe to Compass by EmailGet Compass on iTunesPlay Now:

Next Step #201: The message of resurrection after the celebration of Easter reverberates, but under what conditions? A look at the altar dynamics and the recreation of the "Badarak" as a sacrificial expression of friendship. Guest Linda Zadoian (from Compass) discusses the evolution of the means by which evangelization takes place. Grass roots change to the Armenian Church. WWMMT: What would Mary Magdalen tweet? "I went to the tomb, it was empty!" Wouldn't it have been a shame if her tweet was pushed down the Twitter page because of other tweets? Ongoing thoughts about Fr. Vazken's & Fr. McKenzie's sermons...Ani's Bubbles: A sign of faithTAAB2: http://youtu.be/q7jZMCBEsZMSong: Al Massih Qam by Rula KishekLend a Second Hand Round #2 Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.com

Next Step #199: Revisiting the disenfranchised community (and we're NOT talking about those who don't attend church.) Targeting Armodoxy to the "three groups." The Church and its relevancy to the multitalented/multidimensional individual. HH Vazken I of Blessed Memory (1955-1994), guiding the Armenian Church from Cold War to Independence: the Working of the Holy Spirit; Remembering the "Thief on the Cross" and then remembering ourselves. The "Opportunity Clause" used by Christians to rationalize a loving and damning God. The Basis of the Second Coming of Christ - looking at the Bottom Line of the Christian Message. A quick look at newspapers and a prelude to the "Virtual Armenia." Song: "Nayatz Sirov" by the Seminarians of the Vazkenian Seminary, Lake Sevan, Armenia  Daily messages for Holy Week: http://epostle.net/easter/Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comFr. Vazken at the statue of HH Vazken I at the Seminary in his name, Lake Sevan, Armenia

Compass #21: The compass points to a healthy discussion about using the tools (money) of this world to do the work of the church. "Men go wild in the Armenian Church" as Fr. Vazken joins Linda in focusing on the dishonest steward - the guy who rips off his boss twice, only to be commended and pointed to by Christ. Discussion topics include the disenfranchised members of the community, life cycles and returning to the church, stadium/mega churches, stewardship, shrewdness vs. the rascal, business and religion and the ultimate question: is there "clean" money? Down to earth conversation - and the compass points the way.We love to hear from our listeners.  Please address questions and comments to compass@epostle.net Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for Compass on Blubrry.com Subscribe to Compass by EmailGet Compass on iTunesPlay Now:

Compass #20: This episode shines a new light on a living faith through the eyes and voice of one of the highest ranking clergyman of the Armenian Church. Sixty+ years of experience as a priest, Archbishop Hovsepian offers a seasoned and open expression on topics such as cults, homosexuality and abortion in this interview. It's just the tip of the iceberg as things warm up. Are you ready to take the spin? Interview recorded on Expulsion Sunday - 2/26/12More on Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian: http://youtu.be/iuo6_e5XP4E We love to hear from our listeners.  Please address questions and comments to compass@epostle.net Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for Compass on Blubrry.com Subscribe to Compass by EmailGet Compass on iTunesPlay Now: Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian

Next Step #192:  A week of living saints - from Ghevont to Vartan and the Midwinter feast of Diaruntarch. Debut of Gor Mkhitarian's "New Life" - dedicated to the victims of domestic violence. This episode looks at domestic violence and the Christian response - it's about helping and healing. St. Joseph serves as an example of the great male lover. From monasteries to bleeding Marys, what would Christ do in the case of hurting families? Welcome to the team, Vahe.Song: "New Life" by Gor Mkhitarian - www.gormusic.comAni's Bubbles: Children & Domestic ViolenceLinks - Tufenkian Foundation: http://www.tufenkianfoundation.org/Globalization and the Armenian Church by Fr. Vazken: http://vimeo.com/15291175Domestic Violence awareness event: www.inhisshoes.orgVartan & GhevontProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.com

Next Step #174: Steve Jobs' Passing. Fr. Vazken reflects on Jobs, the visionary and the pioneer, bringing together some personal reflections from the early days of Silicon Valley and implications of those reflections for Armodoxy. "We are HERE because of him," says Fr. Vazken. Each step matters - first steps lead to the next steps. Politics in the Armenian Church: Why are members of the Armenian Church feeling disenfranchised? Catholicos Aram I visits the Southland - the office and the person, the custom of "achahampouyr." The Armenian Church at the abortion clinic - priorities for the Armenian church - don't throw out the baby with the Bathwater! A poem by Lory Bedikian - "Self Portrait with Crane" from The Book of Lamenting - brings together this episode about church - state - diaspora realities. A must hear!Music: Switched on Bach by Wendy Carlos on Moog SynthesizerAni's Bubbles: Abbey & Meridith.Pomegranate & I blog: A Song, A Dance, and a BlessingIn His Shoes Mission in an Armenian Village - A miracle with music by Gor Mkhitarian: http://youtu.be/IuNb4xSLPtISilicon Valley blog by Fr. VazkenProduced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comThis Episode is Sponsored by Nicholas & Janine Economides

Next Step #172: Twenty years of independence for Armenia gives cause to reflect on "declaring what is self-evident" and how to take the next step to actualize dreams of independence - personally and as an institution. Determining which laws are just and which are unjust. What is God's law and rules? A reading of the Declaration of Independence and Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. Just/unjust laws. Why you won't see things getting better in the Armenian Church. The role of institutions: maintaining and preserving the status quo. We know the problems - now what's the solution - When the door opened the first woman deacon entered - its time to do the same. The Centrality of Christ in the Church - if He's in the church, what is more important outside? If he's not, everything outside can be more important. Answering the argument and problem of language in the church - here it is! New podcast - Compass at http://epostle.netMusic: "Mer Hayrenik" - National Anthem of Armenia. Watch video at http://youtu.be/je95_TmJd6s  Ani's Bubbles: What Cancer Can Do. Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.comThere's still time to Vote for the Next Step at the 7th Annual Podcast Awards (http://www.podcastawards.com/) in the category "Religious Inspiration"Nominations close September 30, 2011.  Please get your votes in!URL for Next Step nomination: http://www.blubrry.com/nextstep

Next Step #138: Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian's interview (Part 2 of 2) - discussing religion in general and the Armenian Church in particular. Topics include the Mission of the Armenian Church; How to accomplish the mission; Eastern (cf. Western) as the liberal form of Christianity; Spirituality vs. the Institutions; Relevancy in the Church; Customizing Religion to fit our lives; Complex world and the Simple message. Watch out Google, here's a formula for advertising without paying for it. The London Church experiment: Finding Christianity in community. This is a meaty interview, with analysis and direction. A must listen for anyone concerned about the direction of Church, in harmony with the Christian Mission.Part 1 of InterviewCheck out Shiraz on FB: http://www.facebook.com/shiraz.yeghiazarian Song: "Between Me Now" by Melineh Kurdian – www.melinehkurdian.comAni's Bubbles: "The Pearl Necklace"Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netLook for The Next Step on blubrry.com Fr. Vazken Movsesian and Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian

Next Step #137: Wrapping up the lessons from a weekend with Martin Luther King, Jr.; The Santa Barbara Sunrise: are we at the Pacific Ocean? Expansion plans for In His Shoes includes a kick in the shoes, from Easter April 24, to Syria, to Argentina and London; 50 Years after JFK's “Ask Not…” Speech – we are heirs to the revolution; Can we really love those we don't like? Interview with Hratch Tchilingirian, Ph.D. (Part 1) – a look at the “Window Years” – Analysis and Criticism from within the church. Dr. Tchilingirian discusses issues of faith and religion, the Armenian Church and religion in the work today. How the fundamental questions of life are answered for him as a person, an Armenian and now a father. Speech: JFK Inauguration Speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you…”Ani's Bubbles: “Forgiveness”Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.netFr. Vazken Movsesian and Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian

The title of this episode is Coping.It's time once again to lay down our focus on the Western Church to see what's happening in the East.With the arrival of Modernity, the Church in Europe and the New World was faced with the challenge of coping in what we'll call the post-Constantine era. The social environment was no longer favorable toward Christianity. The institutional Church could no longer count on the political support it enjoyed since the 4th C. The 18th C saw Western Christianity faced with the challenge of secular states that may not be outright hostile but tended to ignore it.In the East, Christianity faced far more than benign neglect for a long time. When Constantinople fell in 1453 to the Turks, The Faith came under a repressive regime that alternately neglected and persecuted it.While during the Middle Ages in Europe, Popes were often more powerful than Kings, the Byzantine Emperor ruled the Church. Greek patriarchs were functionaries under his lead. If they failed to comply with his dictates, they were deposed and replaced by those who would. When the Emperor decided reuniting with Rome was required to save the empire, the reunion was accomplished against the counsel of Church leaders. Then, just a  year later, Constantinople fell to the Ottomans. Many Eastern Christians regarded this calamity as a blessing. They viewed it as liberation from a tyrannical emperor who'd forced them into a union with a heretical church in Rome.The new Ottoman regime initially granted the Church limited freedom. Since the patriarch fled to Rome, the conqueror of Constantinople, Mohammed II, allowed the bishops to elect a new patriarch.  He was given both civil and ecclesiastical authority over Christians in the East. In the capital, half the churches were converted to mosques. The other half were allowed to continue worship without much change.In 1516, the Ottomans conquered the ancient seat of Middle Eastern Christianity in Syria and Palestine. The church there was put under the oversight of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Then, when Egypt fell a year later, the Patriarch of Alexandria was given authority over all Christians in Egypt. Under the Ottomans, Eastern Church Patriarchs had vast power over Christians in their realm, but they only served at the Sultan's pleasure and were often deposed for resisting his policies.In 1629, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyril Lucaris, wrote what was considered by many, a Protestant treatise titled Confession of Faith. He was then deposed and executed. Fifty years later, a synod condemned him as a “Calvinist heretic.” But by the 18th C, the Reformation wasn't a concern of the Eastern Church. What was, was the arrival of Western philosophy and science. In the 19th C, when Greece gained independence from Turkey, the debate became political. Greek nationalism advocated Western methods of academics and scholarship. The Greeks also demanded that the Greek Church ought to be independent of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Conservatives wanted to subsume scholarship under tradition and retain allegiance to Constantinople.During the 19th and early 20th Cs, the Ottoman Empire broke up, allowing national Orthodox churches to form in Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. The tension between nationalist and conservative Orthodoxy dominated the scene. In the period between the two world wars, the Patriarch of Constantinople acknowledged the autonomy of Orthodox churches in the Balkans, Estonia, Latvia, and Czechoslovakia.Early in the 20th C, the ancient patriarchates of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch were ruled by Arabs. But the newly formed states existed under the shadow of Western powers. This was a time when out of a desire to identify with larger groups who could back them up politically and militarily, a large number of Middle Eastern Christians became either Catholic or Protestant. But an emergent Arab nationalism reacted against Western influence. The growth of both Protestantism and Catholicism was curbed. By the second half of the 20th C, the only nations where Eastern Orthodox Christianity retained its identity as a state church were Greece and Cyprus.The fall of Constantinople in 1453 was viewed by Russian Christians as God's punishment for its reunion with the heretical Rome. They regarded Moscow as the “3rd Rome” and the new capital whose task was to uphold Orthodoxy. In 1547, Ivan IV took the title “czar,” drawn from the ancient “Caesar” a proper name that had come to mean “emperor.” The Russian rulers deemed themselves the spiritual heirs to the Roman Empire. Fifty years later, the Metropolitan of Moscow took the title of Patriarch. The Russian Church then churned out a barrage of polemics against the Greek Orthodox Church, Roman Catholics, and Protestants. By the 17th C, the Russian Orthodox Church was so independent when attempts were made by some to re-integrate the Church with its Orthodox brothers, it led to a schism in the Russian church and a bloody rebellion.Now—I just used the term “metropolitan.” We mentioned this in an earlier episode, but now would be a good time for a recap on terms.The Roman Catholic Church is presided over by a Pope whose authority is total, complete. The Eastern Orthodox Church is led by a Patriarch, but his authority isn't as far-reaching as the Pope. Technically, his authority extends just to his church. But realistically, because his church is located in an important center, his influence extends to all the churches within the sphere of his city. While there is only one pope, there might be several Patriarchs who lead various branches of the Eastern Orthodox Church.A Metropolitan equates loosely to an arch-bishop; someone who leads a church that influences the churches around it.Peter the Great's desire to westernize a recalcitrant Russia led to an interest on the part of Russian clergy in both Catholic and Protestant theology. Orthodoxy wasn't abandoned; it was simply embellished with new methods. The Kievan school adopted a Catholic flavor while the followers of Theophanes Prokopovick leaned toward Protestantism. In the late 19th C, a Slavophile movement under the leadership of Alexis Khomiakov applied some of Hegel's analytics to make a synthesis called sobornost; a merging of the Catholic idea of authority with the Protestant view of freedom.Obviously, the Russian Revolution at the beginning of the 20th C put an end to all this with the arrival of a different Western Philosophy - Marxism. In 1918, the Church was officially separated from the State. The Russian Constitution of 1936 guaranteed “freedom for religious worship” but also “freedom for anti-religious propaganda.” In the 1920s, religious instruction in schools was outlawed. Seminaries were closed. After the death of the Russian Patriarch in 1925, the Church was forbidden to name a successor until 1943. The State needed all the help it could get rallying the population in the war with Germany. The seminaries were re-opened and permission was given to print a limited number of religious books.In the late 20th C, after 70 years of Communist rule, the Russian Orthodox Church still had 60 million members.In a recent conversation I had with a woman who grew up in Czechoslovakia during the Soviet Era, she remarked that under the Communists the Church survived, though few attended services. Freedom of religion was the official policy under the Soviets. But in reality, those who professed faith in God were marked down and passed over for education, housing, and other amenities, thin as they were under the harsh Soviet heel. You could be a Christian under Communism; but if you were, you were pretty lonely.Several years ago, when Russia opened to the rest of the world, I had a chance to go in with a team to teach the Inductive Study method as part of Russia's attempt to teach its youth morality and ethics.A senior citizen attended the class who between sessions regaled us with tales of being a believer under Communism. He looked like something straight out of an old, grimy black and white photo of a wizened old man with thinning white hair whose wrinkled face speaks volumes in the suffering he'd endured. He told us that he'd spent several stints in Russian prisons for refusing to kowtow to the Party line and steadfastly cleaving to his faith in God.It's remarkable the Church survived under Communism in the Soviet Bloc. Stories of the fall of the Soviets in the early '80s are often the tale of a resurgent Church.There are other Orthodox churches in various parts of the world. There's the Orthodox Church of Japan, China, and Korea. These communions, begun by Russian missionaries, are today, indigenous and autonomous, with a national clergy and membership, as well as a liturgy conducted in their native tongue.Due to social strife, political upheavals, persecution, and the general longing for a better life, large numbers of Orthodox believers have moved to distant lands. But as they located in their new home, they often transported the old tensions. Orthodoxy believes there can only be a single Orthodox congregation in a city. So, what to do when there are Greek, Russian or some other flavor of Eastern Orthodox believers all sharing the same community?Keep in mind not all churches in the East are part of Eastern Orthodoxy. Since the Christological controversies in the 5th C, a number of churches that disagreed with established creeds maintained their independence. In Persia, most Christians refused to refer to Mary as Theotokos = the Mother of God. They were labeled as Nestorians and declared heretical; though as we saw way back when we were looking at all this, Nestorius himself was not a heretic. Nestorians are more frequently referred to as Assyrian Christians, with a long history. During the Middle Ages, the Assyrian church had many members with missions extending as far as China. In modern times, the Assyrian Church has suffered severe persecution from Muslims. Early in the 20th C and again more recently, persecution decimated its members. Recent predations by ISIS were aimed at these brethren.Those churches that refused to accept the findings of the Council of Chalcedon were called Monophysites because they elevated the deity of Christ over His humanity to such a degree it seemed to make that humanity irrelevant. The largest of these groups were the Copts of Egypt and Ethiopia. The Ethiopian church was the last Eastern church to receive State support. That support ended with the overthrow of Haile Selassie in 1974. The ancient Syrian Monophysite Church, known more popularly as Jacobite, continued in Syria and Iraq. Its head was the Patriarch of Antioch who lived in Damascus. Technically under this patriarchate, but in reality autonomous, the Syrian Church in India has half a million members.As we saw in a previous episode, the Armenian Church also refused to accept the Chalcedonian Creed, because it resented the lack of support from Rome when the Persians invaded. When the Turks conquered Armenia, the fierce loyalty of the Armenians to their faith became one more spark that lit the fuse of ethnic hostility. In 1895, 96, and again in 1914 when the world was distracted elsewhere by The Great War, thousands of Armenians living under Turkish rule were massacred. A million escaped to Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Greece, France, and other Western nations where the memory of the Armenian Holocaust lives on and continues to play an important role in international relations and the development of foreign policy.

This episode of Communio Santorum is titled, “And In the East – Part 1.”The 5th C Church Father Jerome wrote, “[Jesus] was present in all places with Thomas in India, with Peter in Rome, with Paul in Illyria, with Titus in Crete, with Andrew in Greece, with each apostle . . . in his own separate region.”So far we've been following the track of most western studies of history, both secular & religious, by concentrating on what took place in the West & Roman Empire. Even though we've delved briefly into the Eastern Roman Empire, as Lars Brownworth aptly reminds us in his outstanding podcast, 12 Byzantine Emperors, even after the West fell in the 5th Century, the Eastern Empire continued to think of & call itself Roman. It's later historians who refer to it as the Byzantine Empire.Recently we've seen the focus of attention shift to the East with the Christological controversies of the 4th & 5th Cs. In this episode, we'll stay in the East and follow the track of the expansion of the Faith as it moved Eastward. This is an amazing chapter often neglected in traditional treatments of church history. It's well captured by Philip Jenkins in his book, The Lost History of Christianity.We start all the way back at the beginning with the apostle Thomas.  He's linked by pretty solid tradition to the spread of Christianity into the East. In the quote we started with from the early 5th C Church Father Jerome, we learn that the Apostle Thomas carried the Gospel East all the way to India.In the early 4th C, Eusebius also attributed the expansion of the faith in India to Thomas. Though these traditions do face some dispute, there are still so-called ‘Thomas Christians' in the southern Indian state of Kerala today. They use an Aramaic form of worship that had to have been transported there very early. A tomb & shrine in honor of Thomas at Mylapore is built of bricks used by a Roman trading colony but was abandoned after ad 50. There's abundant evidence of several Roman trading colonies along the coast of India, with hundreds of 1st C coins & ample evidence of Jewish communities. Jews were known to be a significant part of Roman trade ventures. Their communities were prime stopping places for the efforts of Christian missionaries as they followed the Apostle Paul's model as described in the Book of Acts.A song commemorating Thomas' role in bringing the faith to India, wasn't committed to writing till 1601 but was said to have been passed on in Kerala for 50 generations. Many trading vessels sailed to India in the 1st C when the secret of the monsoon winds was finally discovered, so it's quite possible Thomas did indeed make the journey.  Once the monsoons were finally figured out, over 100 trade ships a year crossed from the Red Sea to India.Jesus told the disciples to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. While they were slow to catch on to the need to leave Jerusalem, persecution eventually convinced them to get moving. It's not hard to imagine Thomas considering a voyage to India as a way to literally fulfill the command of Christ. India would have seemed the end of the Earth.Thomas's work in India began in the northwest region of the country. A 4th C work called The Acts of Thomas says that he led a ruler there named Gundafor to faith. That story was rejected by most scholars & critics until an inscription was discovered in 1890 along with some coins which verify the 20-year reign in the 1st C of a King Gundafor.After planting the church in the North, Thomas traveled by ship to the Malabar Coast in the South. He planted several churches, mainly along the Periyar River.  He preached to all classes of people and had about 17,000 converts from all Indian castes. Stone crosses were erected at the places where churches were founded, and they became centers for pilgrimages. Thomas was careful to appoint local leadership for the churches he founded.He then traveled overland to the Southeast Indian coast & the area around Madras. Another local king and many of his subjects were converted. But the Brahmins, highest of the Indian castes, were concerned the Gospel would undermine a cultural system that was to their advantage, so they convinced the king at Mylapore, to arrest & interrogate him. Thomas was sentenced to death & executed in AD 72. The church in that area then came under persecution and many Christians fled for refuge to Kerala.A hundred years later, according to both Eusebius & Jerome, a theologian from the great school at Alexandria named Pantaenus, traveled to India to “preach Christ to the Brahmins.”[1]Serving to confirm Thomas' work in India is the writing of Bar-Daisan. At the opening of the 3rd Century, he spoke of entire tribes following Jesus in North India who claimed to have been converted by Thomas.  They had numerous books and relics to prove it. By AD 226 there were bishops of the Church in the East in northwest India, Afghanistan & Baluchistan, with thousands of laymen and clergy engaging in missionary activity. Such a well-established Christian community means the presence of the Faith there for the previous several decades at the least.The first church historian, Eusebius of Caesarea, to whom we owe so much of our information about the early Church, attributed to Thomas the spread of the Gospel to the East. As those familiar with the history of the Roman Empire know, the Romans faced continuous grief in the East by one Persian group after another. Their contest with the Parthians & Sassanids is a thing of legend. The buffer zone between the Romans & Persians was called Osrhoene with its capital city of Edessa, located at the border of what today is northern Syria & eastern Turkey. According to Eusebius, Thomas received a request from Abgar, king of Edessa, for healing & responded by sending Thaddaeus, one of the disciples mentioned in Luke 10.[2] Thus, the Gospel took root there. There was a sizeable Jewish community in Edessa from which the Gospel made several converts. Word got back to Israel of the Church community growing in the city & when persecution broke out in the Roman Empire, many refugees made their way East to settle in a place that welcomed them.Edessa became a center of the Syrian-speaking church which began sending missionaries East into Mesopotamia, North into Persia, Central Asia, then even further eastward. The missionary Mari managed to plant a church in the Persian capital of Ctesiphon, which became a center of missionary outreach in its own right.By the late 2nd C, Christianity had spread throughout Media, Persia, Parthia, and Bactria. The 2 dozen bishops who oversaw the region carried out their ministry more as itinerant missionaries than by staying in a single city and church. They were what we refer to as tent-makers; earning their way as merchants & craftsmen as they shared the Faith where ever they went.By AD 280 the churches of Mesopotamia & Persia adopted the title of “Catholic” to acknowledge their unity with the Western church during the last days of persecution by the Roman Emperors. In 424 the Mesopotamian church held a council at the city of Ctesiphon where they elected their first lead bishop to have jurisdiction over the whole Church of the East, including India & Ceylon, known today as Sri Lanka. Ctesiphon was an important point on the East-West trade routes which extended to India, China, Java, & Japan.The shift of ecclesiastical authority was away from Edessa, which in 216 became a tributary of Rome. The establishment of an independent patriarchate contributed to a more favorable attitude by the Persians, who no longer had to fear an alliance with the hated Romans.To the west of Persia was the ancient kingdom of Armenia, which had been a political football between the Persians & Romans for generations. Both the Persians & Romans used Armenia as a place to try out new diplomatic maneuvers with each other. The poor Armenians just wanted to be left alone, but that was not to be, given their location between the two empires. Armenia has the historical distinction of being the first state to embrace Christianity as a national religion, even before the conversion of Constantine the Great in the early 4th C.The one who brought the Gospel to Armenia was a member of the royal family named Gregory, called “the Illuminator.” While still a boy, Gregory's family was exiled from Armenia to Cappadocia when his father was thought to have been part of a plot to assassinate the King. As a grown man who'd become a Christian, Gregory returned to Armenia where he shared the Faith with King Tiridates who ruled at the dawn of the 4th C. Tiridates was converted & Gregory's son succeeded him as bishop of the new Armenian church. This son attended the Council of Nicea in 325. Armenian Christianity has remained a distinctive and important brand of the Faith, with 5 million still professing allegiance to the Armenian Church.[3]Though persecution came to an official end in the Roman Empire with Constantine's Edict of Toleration in 313, it BEGAN for the church in Persia in 340. The primary cause for persecution was political. When Rome became Christian, its old enemy turned anti-Christian. Up to that point, the situation had been reversed. For the first 300 hundred years, it was in the West Christians were persecuted & Persia was a refuge. The Parthians were religiously tolerant while their less tolerant Sassanid successors were too busy fighting Rome to waste time or effort on the Christians among them.But in 315 a letter from Constantine to his Persian counterpart Shapur II  triggered the beginnings of an ominous change in the Persian attitude toward Christians. Constantine believed he was writing to help his fellow believers in Persia but succeeded only in exposing them. He wrote to the young Persian ruler: “I rejoice to hear that the fairest provinces of Persia are adorned with Christians. Since you are so powerful and pious, I commend them to your care, and leave them in your protection.”The schemes & intrigues that had flowed for generations between Rome & the Persians were so intense this letter moved Shapur to become suspicious the Christians were a kind of 5th column, working from inside the Empire to bring the Sassanids down. Any doubts were dispelled 20 years later when Constantine gathered his forces in the East for war. Eusebius says Roman bishops accompanied the army into battle. To make matters worse, in Persia, one of their own preachers predicted Rome would defeat the Sassanids.Little wonder then, when persecution began shortly after, the first accusation brought against Christians was that they aided the enemy. Shapur ordered a double taxation on Christians & held their bishop responsible for collecting it. Shapur knew Christians tended to be poor since so many had come from the West fleeing persecution, so the bishop would be hard-pressed to come up w/the money. But Bishop Simon refused to be intimidated. He declared the tax unjust and said, “I'm no tax collector! I'm a shepherd of the Lord's flock.” Shapur counter-declared the church was in rebellion & the killings began.A 2nd decree ordered the destruction of churches and the execution of clergy who refused to participate in the official Sassanid-sponsored sun-worship. Bishop Simon was seized & brought before Shapur. Offered a huge bribe to capitulate, he refused. The Persians promised if he alone would renounce Christ, the rest of the Christian community wouldn't be harmed, but that if he refused he'd be condemning all Christians to destruction. When the Christians heard of this, they rose up, protesting en masse that this was shameful. So Bishop Simon & a large number of the clergy were executed.For the next 20 years, Christians were hunted down from one end of Persia to the other. At times it was a general massacre. But more often it was organized elimination of the church's leaders.Another form of suppression was the search for that part of the Christian community that was most vulnerable to persecution; Persians who'd converted from Zoroastrianism. The faith spread first among non-Persians in the population, especially Jews & Syrians. But by the beginning of the 4th C, Persians in increasing numbers were attracted to the Christian faith. For such converts, church membership often meant the loss of everything - family, property rights, even life.The martyrdom of Bishop Simon and the years of persecution that followed gutted the Persian church of its leadership & organization. As soon as the Christians of Ctesiphon elected a new bishop, he was seized & killed. Adding to the anti-Roman motivation of the government's role in the persecutions was a deep undercurrent of Zoroastrian fanaticism that came as a result of the conversion of so many of their number to Christianity; it was a shocking example of religious envy.Shortly before Shapur II's death in 379, persecution slackened. It had lasted for 40 years and only ended with his death. When at last the suffering ceased, it's estimated close to 200,000 Persian Christians had been put to death.[1] Yates, T. (2004). The expansion of Christianity. Lion Histories Series (28–29). Oxford, England: Lion Publishing.[2] Yates, T. (2004). The expansion of Christianity. Lion Histories Series (24). Oxford, England: Lion Publishing.[3] Yates, T. (2004). The expansion of Christianity. Lion Histories Series (25). Oxford, England: Lion Publishing.