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Research atlas for early Christianity. Claims are tagged attested, traditional, or disputed. Copyrighted full texts, including CCEL editions, are not included.

DeChurched Atlas

Branches

thriving

Armenian Apostolic Church (Miaphysite branch)

Armenian Orthodox Church, Gregorian Church (outsider label)

c. 301/314 (conversion) – present; anti-Chalcedonian from 506/554

attested. The conversion date of 301 is traditional, and many historians prefer c. 314. The council decisions are attested.

Leaders

  • Gregory the Illuminator
  • Mesrop Mashtots (alphabet, c. 405)
  • Babgen I
  • Nerses II

Beliefs

Miaphysite Christology defined at the synods of Dvin. Its distinctive rites include an unmixed Eucharistic chalice and celebrating Christmas and Epiphany together on 6 January.

Home bases

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  • Vagharshapat / Etchmiadzin

    Vagharshapat, Armenia · 4th–present

    Etchmiadzin Cathedral is traditionally founded by Gregory the Illuminator after Armenia's conversion, dated in tradition to 301 and by many historians to around 314. It is the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The present building is largely 5th–7th century.

    Vagharshapat / Etchmiadzin
    Own work. CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThis photograph shows the modern city, or the Wikipedia lead subject, rather than the ancient site itself.

  • Dvin (councils of 506 and 554)

    Near Hnaberd, Armenia · 5th–7th

    Dvin was the Armenian capital and seat of the catholicos. Its synods of 506 (under Babgen I) and 554 (under Nerses II) rejected Chalcedon and fixed the Armenian church in the anti-Chalcedonian camp. The 554 synod is also tied to the separate Armenian calendar era.

    Dvin (councils of 506 and 554)
    Taken from Russian wiki, source: Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsThis photograph shows the modern city, or the Wikipedia lead subject, rather than the ancient site itself.

Spread

Armenia and the Armenian diaspora, which spread widely after the 11th century (Cilicia, Jerusalem, Constantinople, Persia, India, the Americas).

Books

What happened to it

Survived as a national church through Persian, Byzantine, Arab, Ottoman, Persian and Russian rule and the 1915 genocide. It has two catholicosates, Etchmiadzin and Cilicia (Antelias).

Hostile sources

  • Byzantine Chalcedonian polemicists. e.g. letters of Photius to the Armenians 9th c.

    Hostile.

Their own words

  • Koriwn. Life of Mashtots c. 443

    Insider.

  • Armenian church. Book of Letters (Girk' T'ght'ots') compiled 13th c.

    Insider.

Sources

DeChurched Atlas — Early Christianity as history, from every source