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OF THE ACTIVITIES IN CELEBRATION 0F
THE PROCLAMATION OF CHRISTIANITY
AS THE STATE RELIGION OF ARMENIA
Yerevan-1997
PREPARATORY WORK FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
1700TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF
CHRISTIANITY AS THE STATE RELIGION OF ARMENIA,
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In 301, a great historical revolution in the life of the Armenian people was
accomplished. In the hope of strengthening the foundations of the Armenian kingdom and
of a spiritual awakening, Armenia, through the efforts of King Drtad III and St. Gregory
the Illuminator, accepted Christianity as its state religion. This historical act has had a
distinctly fortunate significance for the Armenian people and for the subsequent
development of its common political life and spiritual culture. One of the world s most ancient nations was imbued with Christian ideals, and struggling continually for centuries, overcoming many terrors, and preserving its identity and showing exceptional strength and vitality, its valuable heritage contributed to the treasury of human civilization. From its earliest days, the role of the Armenian Church in the nation s life has been great. By becoming the hopeful support of the Armenian state, and in the times of the state's absence, the organizer of national life, the Armenian Church and the Armenians' spirituality were of enormous help in strengthening the people's unity and the development of Armenian culture. Its role in the work of developing and preserving writing, literature, art and science, education and national self-consciousness is incontestable. The Armenian conversion was not limited purely to Armenian ethnic circles. It inspired Armenia s geographical and political role whereby Armenia became a center from which Christianity spread through the Transcaucasus. Armenia influenced the largest states of the time, Persia and the Byzantine Empire, through its political and cultural relations. By strengthening the nation's unity, the Armenian Church, by grace of its adopted role in preserving tradition and its spirit of tolerance, for centuries helped to create praiseworthy cultural relations with its neighboring nations and to accept their spiritual values. Now, together with the monuments of Armenian historiography and philosophy, poetry and biography, medicine and miniature painting, Armenia is, with its rich translation literature from Greek, Assyrian, Latin, and Arabic, like a spiritual treasury of humanity. Consequently, the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the conversion of Armenia extends beyond national borders. The worthy recognition and proclamation of the heritage of the enian people in the history of world culture, the representation of the acceptance of Christianity in Armenia worthy of international significance, and the new stimulus of the spiritual revival of the enian people become the most important concerns for the activities dedicated to the 1700th anniversarv. In this official program devoted to the 1700th anniversary are listed the planned scholarly activities, publications, cultural events, activitiesfor general recognization, and preaching, and numezroues other activities. These are to be organized in Armenia and in foreign countries with the partisipation of international organizations, scholars in foreign countries, political, common, and ecclesiastical workers, representatives of culture and art, and the general Armenian public. This program contains the activities planned for the years 1997-2001.
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