Misplaced Pages

#247752

94-505: After Georgian independence in 1991 and the concurrent fall of communism and its discouragement of religion, there was interest in creating a successor. The institution reopened on new premises in 1993 as a higher educational institution of the Georgian Orthodox Church . The institution's most famous attendee was Joseph Besarionis dze Jughashvili, better known by his Russianized name of Joseph Stalin . Stalin received

188-415: A cross and ichthys or anchor and fish, clearly attesting their Christian affiliation. These may mean that the upper-class Iberians had embraced Christianity much earlier than its "official Christianization" date. According to The Georgian Chronicles and the chronicle Conversion of Kartli , a Cappadocian woman Nino converted Queen Nana and later King Mirian III to Christianity, which led to

282-514: A political, economical and cultural golden age , as the Bagrationi dynasty managed to unite western and eastern halves of the country into a single kingdom . To accomplish that goal, kings relied much on the prestige of the Church, and enrolled its political support by giving it many economical advantages, immunity from taxes and large appanages. At the same time, the kings, most notably David

376-509: A Georgian monastery was founded there. During the reign of Vakhtang I , the Georgian hero-king, the head of the Georgian church received the rank of Catholicos , and the Georgian church was recognized as autocephalous by the Church of Antioch . Despite the royal enthusiasm for the new religion, and its adoption within court circles, Christianity took root slowly in the rural districts of

470-493: A cultural and historical choice with profound international implications, though his decision was not tied with Roman diplomatic initiatives. Iberia, architecturally and artistically rooted in Achaemenid culture, from its Hellenistic-era establishment to the conversion of the crown, embarked on a new multi-phased process that took centuries to complete, encompassing the entire 5th, 6th and early 7th centuries, resulting in

564-445: A hell and I don't know, how the whole world was this destroyed, or is it just for me. Let, if this is only for me to be in trouble like this, O God of Nino, enlighten the darkness and show me the place of mine and I will recognize your name, and will erect a pillar of Cross and will respect it and will build a house for me to pray, and will be obedient to Nino's faith of Rome. When at last, he called Christ, his wife's new God, for help –

658-556: A new building for the seminary opposite Paskevich-Erivansky Square (modern Freedom Square, Tbilisi ). In 1872, as part of a Pan-Slavism initiative under the leadership of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich , a ban was introduced on the use of the Georgian language for teaching in seminaries, as the seminary was seen as a hotbed of Georgian nationalism. All instruction was to take place in Russian instead. In 1903, construction began on

752-546: A new complex of buildings in the Vake neighborhood of Tiflis, headed by architect Alexander Rogoisky. The seminary moved in 1912, and the old building became a hotel. It did not last long, though; in the chaos of the Russian Revolution , the buildings were requisitioned in 1917. The seminary may have operated on a temporary basis for a time, but it too eventually closed in the following years. One of old buildings in

846-400: A result of the preaching of Saint Nino in the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , known as Iberia in classical antiquity . The then- pagan king of Iberia Mirian III declared Christianity to be the kingdom's state religion . According to Roman historian Sozomen , this led the king's "large and warlike barbarian nation to confess Christ and renounce the religion of their fathers", as

940-483: A scholarship and attended when he was age fourteen in 1894. The language of instruction was Russian, and use of the Georgian language was discouraged by the Russian priests who taught there. Stalin was a voracious reader in both languages. He became a cultural nationalist for Georgia. He participated in student politics and anonymously published poetry in Georgian in the local newspaper. Although his academic performance

1034-515: A second established religion of Iberia after the Peace of Acilisene in 378, and more precisely by the mid-fifth century. The royal baptism and organization of the church were accomplished by priests sent from Constantinople by Constantine the Great . Conversion of the people of Iberia proceeded quickly in the plains, but pagan beliefs long subsisted in mountain regions. The western Kingdom of Lazica

SECTION 10

#1732766281248

1128-477: A series of monasteries, most notably David Gareja . They were soon joined by local monks, which led to the creation of significant works of hagiographic literature in Georgian, such as the "Life of Saint Nino" and the " Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik ". The golden age of Georgian monasticism lasted from the 9th to the 11th century. During that period, Georgian monasteries were founded outside

1222-698: A significant role in the Christianization of the kingdom, gave a strong impetus to the deepening of ties between the Georgian monarchy and the Holy Land , leading to an increasing presence of Georgians in Palestine . This is confirmed by the activities of Peter the Iberian and other pilgrims, as well as the oldest attested Georgian Bir el Qutt inscriptions found in the Judaean Desert and

1316-674: Is the collective body of bishops of the church. In addition to the Patriarch, the Synod comprises 38 members, including 25 metropolitan bishops , 5 archbishops and 7 simple bishops . As of 2012, the following bishops are members of the Holy Synod, in such hierarchical order: The first head bishop of the Georgia Church to carry the title of Patriarch was Melkisedek I (1010–1033). Since 1977, Ilia II (born in 1933) has served as

1410-485: The Bagrationi dynasty consolidated this evolution by the end of the 10th century: in a single, unified Kingdom of Georgia , there would be a unified Georgian Church. During the first centuries of Christianity, the South Caucasus was culturally much more united than in later periods, and constant interactions between what would become the Georgian and Armenian churches shaped both of them. The Armenian Church

1504-517: The Cross ". The king safely returned to the capital and was greeted by his "queen and the entire nation" of Kartli. He went with his army to see Nino. At the urging of Nino, the king laid the foundations of a church to commemorate his new faith, Christianity. According to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi , after Mirian's conversion, Nino "destroyed the image of Armazi, the god of thunder". When

1598-503: The Georgian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Georgia , is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with the other churches of Eastern Orthodoxy . It is Georgia 's dominant religious institution, and a majority of Georgian people are members. The Orthodox Church of Georgia is one of the oldest churches in the world. It asserts apostolic foundation, and that its historical roots can be traced to

1692-593: The Georgian graffiti of Nazareth and Sinai . Iberia was a factor in a competitive diplomacy of the Roman and Sasanian Empires , and on occasion became a major player in proxy wars between the two empires. The kingdom shared many institutions and concepts with the neighboring Iranians, had been physically connected to the "Iranian Commonwealth" since the Achaemenid period through commerce, war or marriage. Its adoption of Christianity meant that King Mirian III made

1786-816: The Khakhuli triptych , and the "Georgian cross-dome style" of architecture, which characterizes most medieval Georgian churches. The most celebrated examples of Georgian religious architecture of the time include the Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathedral in Kutaisi , the Ikalto Monastery complex and Academy, and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta . Outstanding Georgian representatives of Christian culture include Peter

1880-656: The Patriarch of Constantinople recognized and approved the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church (which had in practice been exercised or at least claimed since the 5th century) as well as the Patriarchal honour of the Catholicos . Georgia's subsequent independence in 1991 saw a major revival in the fortunes of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The special role of the church in the history of

1974-424: The astronomy scholars – who maintain that there is a high possibility that the total solar eclipse of AD 319, 6 May is the exact date of the Georgian conversion, an eclipse that reached eastern Georgia, and this "eclipse hypothesis" is not new. An eclipse per model ΔT ≈7500 with solar azimuth angle being about 290° would make king and his fellow hunters – or royal entourage – witness the totality of it, but not

SECTION 20

#1732766281248

2068-482: The horizon . At higher elevations nearby such as where the king might have been, totality of an eclipse may indeed have been a remarkable sight. L. V. Morrison and F. R. Stephenson according to their geophysical model ΔT ≈7450±180°, do not contradict this scenario and an intriguing possibility, but it remains an open question whether the ancient and medieval written accounts are trustworthy and really based on actual facts. According to The Georgian Chronicles it

2162-556: The independence of the church from the state. Government relations are further defined and regulated by the Concordat of 2002 . The Georgian Orthodox Church is the most trusted institution in Georgia. According to a 2013 survey, 95% respondents had a favorable opinion of its work. It is highly influential in the public sphere and is considered Georgia's most influential institution. According to Georgian Orthodox Church tradition,

2256-473: The 13th century and Tamerlane in the 14–15th century greatly disrupted Georgian Christianity. The political unity of the country was broken several times, and definitely in the 1460s. Churches and monasteries were targeted by the invaders, as they hosted many treasures. As a result of those devastations, many fell into disrepair or were abandoned. In the western half of Georgia, the Catholicate of Abkhazia

2350-594: The 1970s, when Eduard Shevardnadze , then secretary of the Georgian SSR 's Communist Party, adopted a more tolerant stance, and new Patriarch Ilia II could from 1977 renovate derelict churches, and even build new ones. At the same time, nationalist dissidents such as Zviad Gamsakhurdia emphasized the Christian nature of their struggle against Communist power, and developed relations with Church officials that would come to fruition after 1989. On 25 January 1990,

2444-569: The 2002 census. In 2002, it was reported that there were 35 eparchies (dioceses) and about 600 churches within the Georgian Orthodox Church, served by 730 priests. The Georgian Orthodox Church has around 3,600,000 members within Georgia (no sources attempt to count members among the Georgian diaspora). The Georgian Orthodox Church is managed by the Holy Synod , headed by the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia . The Holy Synod

2538-578: The 4th century is still poorly known. The first documented event in this process is the preaching of Saint Nino and its consequences, although exact dates are still debated. Saint Nino, honored as Equal to the Apostles , was according to tradition the daughter of a Roman general from Cappadocia . She preached in the Caucasian Kingdom of Iberia (also known as Kartli ) in the first half of the 4th century, and her intercession eventually led to

2632-406: The 6th century that native Georgians permanently seized the highest ecclesiastical posts. Nevertheless, outsiders such as Greeks, Iranians , Armenians and Syrians continued to play a prominent role in the administration of the Georgian church. Even though Iberia officially embraced Christianity in the early 4th century, the Georgian Orthodox Church claims apostolic origin and regards Andrew

2726-541: The 6th century. Despite the tremendous diversity of the region, the Christianization process was a pan-regional and a cross-cultural phenomenon in the Caucasus , Eurasia's most energetic and cosmopolitan zones throughout the late antiquity , hard enough to place Georgians and Armenians unequivocally within any one major civilization . The Jews of Mtskheta , the royal capital of Kartli which played

2820-510: The 7th century, after the wide political and cultural changes brought about by the Muslim conquests . This new menace for local culture, religion, and autonomy, and the difficulties to maintain constant contact with other Christian communities, led to a drastic cultural change inside the church, which became for the first time ethnically focused: it evolved into a " Kartvelian Church". The bishops and Catholicos were now all ethnic Georgians, as were

2914-485: The Apostle as the founder of the Georgian church. This is also supported by some Byzantine sources. Ephrem Mtsire (11th century) later explained Saint Nino 's role as Iberia's necessary "second Christening". Archaeological artifacts confirm the spread of Christianity before the conversion of King Mirian in the 4th century. Some of the third-century burials in Georgia include Christian objects such as signet rings with

Tbilisi Theological Seminary - Misplaced Pages Continue

3008-716: The Armenian Church and important portions of the Church of Antioch , as well as the Coptic Church based in Alexandria. At first, the Catholicoi of Iberia chose the anti-Chalcedonian camp together with the Armenians, even though diversity of opinions was always present among the clergy, and tolerated by the hierarchy. The king of Iberia, Vakhtang Gorgasali , who sought an alliance with Byzantium against

3102-558: The Armenian Church. Confessional disputes remained impossible to overcome, and were a staple of theological literature in both areas. The integration of western and eastern Georgian churches from the 9th century also sealed the Orthodox nature of the Georgian Church, as Byzantine liturgy and cultural forms spread to the detriment of traditional Oriental practice. Between the 11th and the early 13th centuries, Georgia experienced

3196-550: The Bible, ecclesiastical literature in Georgian was produced in Iberia, most prominently biographies of saints, such as the " Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik " and the "Martyrdom of Saint Abo ". Many of the saints from the first centuries of the church were not ethnic Georgians ( Shushanik was an Armenian princess, Abo an Arab), showing that the church had not yet acquired a strictly national character. This changed only during

3290-529: The Builder (1089–1125), used state power to interfere in church affairs. In 1103, he summoned the council of Ruisi-Urbnisi , which condemned Armenian Miaphysitism in stronger terms than ever before, and gave unprecedented power, second only to the Patriarch, to his friend and advisor George of Chqondidi . For the following centuries, the Church would remain a crucial feudal institution, whose economical and political power would always be at least equal to that of

3384-641: The Byzantine Church, then to find stronger allies against invaders. Between 1328 and the early 16th century, a Catholic bishop had his see in Tbilisi to foster those contacts. However, formal reunion with Rome never happened, and the church remained faithful to Eastern Orthodoxy. In the next centuries, Georgia, weakened and fragmented , fell under the domination of the Ottoman and successive Persian ( Safavid , Afsharid , and Qajar ) Empires: mostly,

3478-640: The Byzantine territories. From the 6th century, those churches, whose language remained Greek , were headed by a metropolitan in Phasis . The integration of the Black sea coastal regions into what came to be known as Georgia was a long process. A first step came with the Arab invasions of the 7th and 8th centuries, which mostly affected Iberia. Refugees, among them noblemen such as Archil of Kakheti , took shelter in

3572-599: The Catholicos of Mtskheta, Kirion I , leaned towards the Byzantine, Chalcedonian side of the debate, as Iberia was once again seeking imperial support against the Sassanid Empire , who had abolished the Kingdom in 580. The Third Council of Dvin , in 607, sanctioned the rupture with the Armenian Church. The following centuries confirmed the Byzantine orientation of the Georgian Church, and its estrangement from

3666-545: The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi . Here is a list of the Catholicos-Patriarchs since the church restored autocephaly in 1917: Christianization of Iberia The Christianization of Iberia ( Georgian : ქართლის გაქრისტიანება , romanized : kartlis gakrist'ianeba ) refers to the spread of Christianity in the early 4th century as

3760-411: The Christianization of the entire kingdom of Kartli and its people. The Greco-Roman historians Tyrannius Rufinus , Gelasius of Caesarea , Gelasius of Cyzicus , Theodoret , Socrates of Constantinople and Sozomen all have similar narratives of the Georgian tradition. The only major thing that differs in these Greco-Roman accounts from the Georgian tradition is Nino being an unnamed Roman captive who

3854-673: The Fuller (ca. 488). Even so, the church in Iberia did not gain complete independence from the mother church of Antioch ." The church remained subordinate to the Antiochian Church; the Catholicos could appoint local bishops , but until the 740s, his own election had to be confirmed by the synod of the Church of Antioch, and even after the 8th century, annual payments were made to the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. "This situation of continuing canonical dependence

Tbilisi Theological Seminary - Misplaced Pages Continue

3948-668: The Georgian Church] would not be achieved [...] until the Arab conquest or later." At the beginnings of the church history, what is now Georgia was not unified yet politically, and would not be until the beginnings of the 11th century. The western half of the country, mostly constituted of the kingdom of Lazica , or Egrisi, was under much stronger influence of the Byzantine Empire than eastern Iberia, where Byzantine, Armenian and Persian influences coexisted. Such division

4042-502: The Iberian (Petre Iberieli, 5th century), Euthymius of Athos (Ekvtime Atoneli, 955–1028), George of Athos (Giorgi Atoneli, 1009–1065), Arsen Ikaltoeli (11th century), and Ephrem Mtsire , (11th century). Philosophy flourished between the 11th and 13th century, especially at the Academy of Gelati Monastery, where Ioane Petritsi attempted a synthesis of Christian, aristotelician and neoplatonic thought. The Mongol invasions in

4136-547: The Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti (Eastern Georgia) was occupied and annexed by the Russian Empire . On 18 July 1811, the autocephalous status of the Georgian Church was abolished by the Russian authorities, despite strong opposition in Georgia, and the Georgian Church was subjected to the synodical rule of the Russian Orthodox Church. From 1817, the metropolitan bishop, or exarch , in charge of the church

4230-620: The Ottomans ruled the West of the country, the Persians the East, while generally allowing autonomous Georgian kingdoms to subsist under their control. With the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Georgian Christians had lost their traditional recourse against Muslims, and were left to themselves. New martyrs were canonized by the church after each invasion, most notably Queen Ketevan of Kakheti, who

4324-790: The Persians, accepted the Henotikon , a compromise put forward by the Byzantine Emperor Zeno in 482. Such conciliation was attempted again at the First Council of Dvin in 506, and the status quo was preserved during the 6th century. Around 600 however, tensions flared between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the church in Iberia, as the Armenian Church attempted to assert prominence in the Caucasus, in both hierarchical and doctrinal matters, whereas

4418-607: The West as Simon the Zealot), said to have been buried near Sokhumi , in the village of Anakopia , and Saint Matthias , said to have preached in the southwest of Georgia, and to have been buried in Gonio , a village not far from Batumi . The church also claims the presence in Georgia of the Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus , coming north from Armenia . . The propagation of Christianity in present-day Georgia before

4512-469: The West, either in Abkhazia or Tao-Klarjeti , and brought there their culture. Such movements led to the progressive merge of western and eastern churches under the latter, as Byzantine power decreased and doctrinal differences disappeared. The western Church broke away from Constantinople and recognized the authority of the Catholicos of Mtskheta by the end of the 9th century. Political unification under

4606-583: The activities of the kings and the aristocracy . King Mirian's main church-building activity in Mtskheta saw the construction of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral , according to the Georgian tradition connected with the Seamless Robe of Jesus , brought by a pious Jew named Elias, an eyewitness of the Crucifixion of Jesus , to Mtskheta from Jerusalem in the first century. The Samtavro Monastery ,

4700-476: The autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church on 25 March 1917. These changes were not accepted by the Russian Orthodox Church. After the Red Army invasion of Georgia in 1921, the Georgian Orthodox Church was subjected to intense harassment. Hundreds of churches were closed by the atheist government and hundreds of monks were killed during Joseph Stalin 's purges. The independence of the Georgian Orthodox Church

4794-461: The autocephaly was given to the Church at other dates. Ronald Roberson gives 467 for the year the Church became autocephalous. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the autocephaly of the Church "was probably granted by the Eastern Roman emperor Zeno (474–491) with the consent of the patriarch of Antioch, Peter the Fuller." Other sources indicate 484 for the year the Church became autocephalous. Rapp states that "Fully-fledged autocephaly [of

SECTION 50

#1732766281248

4888-595: The beginning of the 11th century, the main characteristics that it has retained until now. Those processes concern the institutional status of the church inside Eastern Christianity, its evolution into a national church with authority over all of Georgia, and the dogmatic evolution of the church. In the 4th and 5th centuries, the Church of Iberia was strictly subordinated to the Apostolic See of Antioch : all of her bishops were consecrated in Antioch before being sent to Iberia. Around 480, "[i]n an attempt to secure K'art'velian support and to acknowledge local support of

4982-438: The church was completed, the king sent ambassadors to the emperor Constantine the Great requesting that he send clergy to help establish the faith in the kingdom. Per Sozomen , upon hearing the news of the conversion of Iberia, "the emperor of the Romans was delighted, acceding to every request that was proffered." The foundation of the Georgian Church and the spread of the new religion in Kartli were made possible mostly by

5076-409: The church. However, modern historiography considers this account mythical, and the fruit of a late tradition, derived from 9th-century Byzantine legends about the travels of St. Andrew in eastern Christendom. Similar traditions regarding Saint Andrew exist in Ukraine , Cyprus and Romania . Other apostles claimed by the church to have preached in Georgia include Simon the Canaanite (better known in

5170-417: The church. Also, the Constantinian churches were devoted to the cult of Christian martyrs , whereas the early Georgian church had no martyrs. After the Christianization of the monarchy, the Georgians intensified their contacts with the Holy Land . Pre-Christian Iberia had a Jewish community as early as the times of Nebuchadnezzar II , and there were close and deep connections in the Iberian ideology of

5264-536: The church: the Eparchy of Sukhumi, regrouping Abkhaz clergy, proclaimed in 2009 its secession from the Georgian Orthodox Church to form a new Abkhazian Orthodox Church ; this move remained however unrecognized by any other orthodox authorities, including the Russian Orthodox Church . The relations with the neighboring Armenian Apostolic Church have also been uneasy since independence, notably due to various conflicts about church ownership in both countries. 83.9% of Georgia's population identified themselves as Orthodox in

5358-972: The complex used by the seminary was repurposed to house the Art Museum of Georgia in 1950, the location it still occupies. The two main courses of instruction were Orthodox theology and rhetoric. Various related topics were also taught, including Church Slavonic , history, mathematics, literature, French , and German . 41°41′28″N 44°48′24″E  /  41.6911°N 44.8068°E  / 41.6911; 44.8068 Georgian Orthodox Church Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( Georgian : საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია , romanized : sakartvelos samotsikulo avt'ok'epaluri martlmadidebeli ek'lesia ), commonly known as

5452-467: The conversion of King Mirian III , his wife Queen (later Saint) Nana and their family. Cyril Toumanoff dates the conversion of Mirian to 334, his official baptism and subsequent adoption of Christianity as the official religion of Iberia to 337. From the first centuries C.E., the cult of Mithras , pagan beliefs, and Zoroastrianism were commonly practiced in Georgia. However, they now started to gradually decline, even despite Zoroastrianism becoming

5546-570: The country is recognized in the Article 9 of the Constitution of Georgia ; its status and relations with the state were further defined in the Constitutional Agreement , or Concordat , signed by President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze and Patriarch Ilia II on 14 October 2002. The Concordat notably recognizes church ownership of all churches and monasteries, and grants it a special consultative role in government, especially in matters of education. Many churches and monasteries have been rebuilt or renovated since independence, often with help from

5640-489: The country, most notably on Mount Sinai , Mount Athos (the Iviron monastery , where the Theotokos Iverskaya icon is still located), and in Palestine . The most prominent figure in the history of Georgian monasticism is judged to be Gregory of Khandzta (759–861), who founded numerous communities in Tao-Klarjeti . Specific forms of art were developed in Georgia for religious purposes. Among them, calligraphy , polyphonic church singing, cloisonné enamel icons, such as

5734-411: The daylight immediately returned. The king jumped down from the horse, raised his hands up to the "eastern sky " and said: შენ ხარ ღმერთი ყოველთა ზედა ღმერთთა და უფალი ყოველთა ზედა უფალთა, ღმერთი, რომელსა ნინო იტყჳს. You are the God over all the other Gods and Lord over all the other Lords, God, who is proclaimed by Nino. After saying this, the king promised again to the new God to erect "a pillar of

SECTION 60

#1732766281248

5828-419: The early and late Christianization of Iberia and Colchis by Andrew the Apostle in the 1st century AD and by Saint Nino in the 4th century AD, respectively. As in similar autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, the church's highest governing body is the holy synod of bishops. The church is headed by the Patriarch of All Georgia , Ilia II , who was elected in 1977. Eastern Orthodox Christianity

5922-402: The emergence of a strong Georgian identity. On the eve of the historic Christianization, the king and the queen were quickly acculturated Georgianized foreigners, the physical fusion of Iranian and Greek cultures. Saint Nino was also a foreigner, as were the first two chief bishops of Kartli , who were Greeks sent by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great . It was only in the first half of

6016-455: The empire, the Byzantine government recognized – and perhaps itself instigated – the change in status of the K'art'velian chief prelate from archbishop to catholicos ". "According to the Antiochene canonist and patriarch Theodore Balsamon (1140–95), 'When the Lord Peter was the Holy Patriarch of the great and godly city of Antioch, the Synod decided to make the Church of Iberia autocephalous.' The patriarch he refers to must be Peter

6110-404: The first monarchs anywhere in the world to convert to the Christian faith. Prior to the escalation of the Armeno-Georgian ecclesiastical rivalry and the Christological controversies, their Caucasian Christianity was extraordinarily inclusive, pluralistic and flexible that only saw the rigid ecclesiological hierarchies established much later, particularly as "national" churches crystallized from

6204-408: The first preacher of the Gospel in Colchis and Iberia (modern-day Western and Eastern Georgia ) was the apostle Andrew , the First-called . According to the official church account, Andrew preached across Georgia, carrying with him an acheiropoieta of the Virgin Mary (an icon believed to be created "not by human hand"), and founded Christian communities believed to be the direct ancestors of

6298-422: The following: AD 312, 317, 318, 320, 323, 325/6/7/8, 330/1/2/3/4/5/6/7. Once widely accepted AD 337 for Iberia's conversion, is favored nowadays by many scholars to be AD 326, possibly a "third Sunday after Easter" per John Zosimus , that was on 1 May, the year traditionally held by the Georgian Orthodox Church . Apart from the historians, Iberia's conversion is of greater interest during decades of debates, to

6392-435: The king got alone, and he walked over the hills and woods scared and terrified. He stood at one place and became desperate over his life. And when he recovered his consciousness, and decided to his heart: "So this is it, I had my god and found no joy. Let the one preached by Nino, the cross and the one that was crucified and does the healing, by his glory – isn't he powerful enough to save me from this trouble? As I am lively into

6486-420: The king's own sepulchre church, was built outside the city, however. This is reminiscent of the situation of the church buildings of Constantine the Great and his family outside of the Roman pomerium . But the sepulchre of the first Christian Georgian king was located inside the church, whereas the sepulchres for the members of the Constantinian dynasty were located in a separate imperial mausoleum near

6580-442: The kingdom. Nino and her entourage met hostility from highlanders inhabiting the southeastern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains , but ultimately, they were persuaded to surrender their idols. Resistance also arose within the Jewish community of Mtskheta. The first steps in the Christianization of Iberia's countryside occurred in the late fifth and early sixth centuries, when indigenous monastic traditions took deep root and facilitated

6674-461: The main noble families. During the Middle Ages, Christianity was the central element of Georgian culture. The development of a written Georgian culture was made possible by the creation of the Georgian alphabet for evangelization purposes. Monasticism played a major role in the following cultural transformation. It started in Georgia in the 6th century, when Assyrian ascetic monks, known as the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers , settled in Iberia and founded

6768-523: The mountains of Javakheti in June, after four months of travel. She stayed for two days at the Paravani Lake and then continued her journey towards the royal city of Mtskheta. When she reached the capital, she found herself at the pagan holiday held for the god Armazi , with King Mirian taking part in the ceremony. Nino, shocked by the event, started to pray, resulting in "severe wind" that destroyed

6862-450: The pagan statue. Later, she was approached by the attendants of Queen Nana, who was suffering from a grave illness. She was asked to cure the queen. The queen was healed immediately, and Nino converted the queen to Christianity. Hearing about the queen's healing, the king was "very surprised". He initially opposed his wife's new religion until he, too, encountered a miracle one day while hunting, riding and "looking over Uplistsikhe " through

6956-486: The polytheistic Georgians had long-established anthropomorphic idols, known as the "Gods of Kartli". The king would become the main sponsor, architect, initiator and an organizing power of all building processes. Per Socrates of Constantinople , the "Iberians first embraced the Christian faith" alongside the Abyssinians , but the exact date of the event is still debated. The kings of Georgia and Armenia were among

7050-501: The population. A similar dynamic led to the creation of the Armenian alphabet . The exact origin of the script is still debated, but must have happened in the second half of the 4th century or the early 5th century. The introduction of monasticism, and its tremendous development, in Iberia in the 6th century encouraged both foreign cultural inputs and the development of local written works. From that moment, together with translations of

7144-469: The sacred with the holiness of Jerusalem . This Iberian fascination with Jerusalem and Zion largely predates the claims of Georgia's unprecedented "Byzantinizing" Bagrationi monarchs to have descended directly from King David . Iberia, by having a direct connection to Jerusalem, had several monasteries there already. It was in Jerusalem that Rufinus met Bacurius, and by the end of the fourth century

7238-528: The saints whose "Lives" were written from that period. In the western half of Georgia, ancient Colchis , which had remained under stronger Roman influence, local churches were under jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople , and were culturally and linguistically Hellenistic. Bishops from the port cities took part in ecumenical councils, from the Council of Nicea (325) together with those from

7332-567: The spread of Christianity into the more peripheral regions of Kartli. Sometime in the 530s or 540s, the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers arrived in Mtskheta, whose activities would result in the establishment of some sixteen monasteries and other churches across Georgia, many of whose sixth-century foundations still can be observed today. Estimates of the conversion date by historians have ranged over much of King Mirian's long reign. Foreign and Georgian scholars' proposed dates are

7426-966: The state or wealthy individuals. The church has enjoyed good relations with all three Presidents of Georgia since independence was restored. However, tensions subsist within the Church itself regarding its participation in the ecumenical movement, which Patriarch Ilia II had endorsed (he served as head of the World Council of Churches between 1977 and 1983). Opposition to ecumenism was fueled by fears of massive proselytizing by Protestant denominations in Georgia. In 1997, faced with open dissension from leading monks, Ilia II rescinded church participation in international ecumenical organizations, though he stopped short of denouncing ecumenism as "heresy". Opposition against Protestant missionary activity has remained strong in contemporary Georgia, and even led to episodes of violence. Separatism in Abkhazia has also affected

7520-551: The townspeople nearby. The visibility conditions for the king on the Tkhoti mountain could have been similar to the Solar eclipse of 11 July 2010 as seen at sunset from the mountainous terrain of Patagonia . During the eclipse of AD 319, observers at lower elevations near Mtskheta , would have seen the sky grow prematurely dark and then slightly brighter, without the Sun reappearing over

7614-524: The trust of people in the institution was diminished by its Russification and corruption. Calls for autocephaly became heard again only after the intellectual national revival that started in the 1870s; the local clergy made such calls during the 1905 revolution , before being repressed again. Following the overthrow of the Tsar Nicholas II in March 1917, Georgia's bishops unilaterally restored

7708-456: The weakened local church for Catholicism, as missionaries were bringing the printing press and western culture to Georgia around 1700. Only the emergence of a strong Orthodox power, the Russian Empire , could reinforce during the 18th century the status and prestige of the Church among the elites, and the shared Orthodoxy was a potent factor in the calls for Russian intervention in the Caucasus, to liberate Georgia from Muslim domination. In 1801,

7802-888: The woods of Tkhoti mountain when he suddenly was surrounded by the threatening darkness of a solar eclipse . და დაშთა მეფე მარტო, და იარებოდა მთათა და მაღნართა შეშინებული და შეძრწუნებული. დადგა ერთსა ადგილსა და წარეწირა სასოება ცხოვრებისა მისისა. და ვითარცა მოეგო თავსა თჳსსა ცნობასა, და განიზრახვიდა ესრეთ გულსა თჳსსა: "აჰა ესე რა, ვხადე ღმერთთა ჩემთა და არა ვპოვე ჩემ ზედა ლხინება. აწ, რომელსა იგი ქადაგებს ნინო ჯუარსა და ჯუარცმულსა და ჰყოფს კურნებასა, მისითა მოსავობითა, არამცა ძალ ედვაა ჴსნა ჩემი ამის ჭირისაგან? რამეთუ ვარ მე ცოცხლივ ჯოჯოხეთსა შინა და არა უწყი, თუ ყოვლისა ქუეყანისათჳს იქმნა დაქცევა ესე, ანუ თუ ჩემთჳს ოდენ იქმნა. აწ, თუ ოდენ ჩემთჳს არს ჭირი ესე, ღმერთო ნინოსო, განმინათლე ბნელი ესე და მიჩუენე საყოფელი ჩემი და აღვიარო სახელი შენი, და აღვმართო ძელი ჯუარისა და თაყუანისვცე მას და აღვაშენო სახლი სალოცველად ჩემდა, და ვიყო მორჩილ ნინოსა სჯულსა ზედა ჰრომთასა. And

7896-553: Was altered after the 11th century, when the catholicos of Mtskheta spread out his jurisdiction over western Georgia . Since then, the head of the Autocephalous Church of Georgia has been the catholicos-patriarch of all Georgia, and the church has been fully independent in its domestic and foreign affairs, with the exception of the period between 1811 and 1917. Melchisedek I (1010–33) was the first catholicos-patriarch of all Georgia." However, other sources state that

7990-401: Was an ethnic Russian, with no knowledge of the Georgian language and culture. The Georgian liturgy was suppressed and replaced with Church Slavonic , ancient frescoes were whitewashed from the walls of many churches, and publication of religious literature in Georgian heavily censored. The 19th century was a time of decline and disaffection, as the church buildings often fell into disrepair, and

8084-442: Was brought to Iberia. According to Georgian sources, Nino was a daughter of Zabilon and Susana, a family endowed with a direct but unlikely link to Jerusalem. Once, when she went to Jerusalem to see her father, she asked if anyone knew where the Seamless Robe of Jesus was located. She was told that it was kept "in the eastern city of Mtskheta , a country of Kartli [i.e. Iberia]." She decided to go to Iberia and eventually reached

8178-579: Was established following the Mongol rule. It seceded from the Mtskheta see as the Kingdom disintegrated, and the western Catholicos thereafter assumed the title of Patriarch. This rival seat, based first in Pitsunda , then at the Gelati Monastery near Kutaisi , subsisted until 1795. During those times, contacts with the Catholic Church increased, first as a way to liberate itself from meddling by

8272-473: Was finally recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church on 31 October 1943: this move was ordered by Stalin as part of the war-time more tolerant policy towards Christianity in the Soviet Union . New anti-religious campaigns took place after the war, especially under Nikita Khrushchev . Corruption and infiltration by the security organs were also plaguing the church. First signs of revival can be seen from

8366-433: Was founded two decades earlier, and, during the 4th century, was larger and more influential than the Church in Iberia. As such, it exerted strong influence in the early doctrine of the church. The influence of the Church of Jerusalem was also strong, especially in liturgy. The Georgian-Armenian ecclesial relationship would be tested after the Council of Chalcedon (451), whose christological conclusions were rejected by

8460-520: Was good, he was expelled in 1899 after missing his final exams. While at the seminary, Stalin met a circle of friends who would go on to be influential in later Marxist politics, including joining the Mesame Dasi party. Another notable graduate was the poet Galaktion Tabidze . Tiflis Theological Seminary opened in 1817. In 1838, the Swiss architects brothers Giovanni and Giuseppe Bernardazzi built

8554-474: Was politically and culturally distinct from Iberia at that time, and culturally more integrated into the Roman Empire ; some of its cities already had bishops by the time of the First Council of Nicea (325). The conversion of Iberia marked only the beginnings of the formation of the Georgian Orthodox Church. In the following centuries, different processes took place that shaped the church, and gave it, by

8648-404: Was reflected in major differences in the development of Christianity. In the east, from the conversion of Mirian, the church developed under the protection of the kings of Iberia, or Kartli. A major factor in the development of the church in Iberia was the introduction of the Georgian alphabet . The impulse for a script adapted to the language of the local people stemmed from efforts to evangelize

8742-456: Was the state religion throughout most of Georgia's history until 1921, when the country, having declared independence from Russia in 1918, was conquered by the Red Army during the Soviet invasion of Georgia , becoming part of the Soviet Union . The current Constitution of Georgia recognizes the special role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the country's history, but also stipulates

8836-482: Was tortured to death in 1624 for refusing to renounce Christianity on the orders of Abbas I of Persia (Shah-Abbas). Not all members of the royal families of Kartli and Kakheti were so faithful to the church, though. Many of them, to gain Persian favor, and win the throne over their brothers, converted to Islam, or feigned to, such as David XI of Kartli (Daud Khan). Other noblemen, such as Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani , left

#247752