A Comparison and Contrast of the History of Christianity As It
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Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses 12-2007 A Comparison and Contrast of the History of Christianity as it Developed in Cappadocia and Armenia during the First Five Centuries AD Judy Henzel Clemson University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Henzel, Judy, "A Comparison and Contrast of the History of Christianity as it Developed in Cappadocia and Armenia during the First Five Centuries AD" (2007). All Theses. 255. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/255 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITYAS IT DEVELOPED IN CAPPADOCIA AND ARMENIA DURING THE FIRST FIVE CENTURIES AD ___________________________________________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University ___________________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree Master of Arts History ___________________________________________________________ by Judy H. Henzel December 2008 ___________________________________________________________ Accepted by: Dr. Elizabeth Carney, Committee Chair Dr. Stephen Grosby Dr. Alan Grubb ABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis is to examine key political, cultural or environmental factors which affected the rise and development of Christianity in two specific regions of eastern Anatolia during the first to fifth centuries AD. Hagiography and chronicle often portray the progress of Christianity as deterministic and providential. However, unique cultural and political elements proved very influential in shaping the success and forms of Christianity in Cappadocia and Armenia, particularly in the fourth and fifth centuries AD. ii DEDICATION To John, Joanna and John Russell for all their love, patience and support and to those who lived “as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” 1 Peter 1:1 (NASB) iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to those who helped this thesis achieve its final form. My special thanks go to Dr. Elizabeth Carney for her willingness to serve as my committee chair and also for her patience, guidance and insight through the entire process. Particular credit for a majority of the editing goes to Dr. Alan Grubb. Also, I want to thank him for those informal chats which often helped to illuminate particular problems. Special thanks and acknowledgement go to Dr. Stephen Grosby. He understood my interests and encouraged me numerous times to pursue them. He, in fact, suggested this particular topic and was extremely helpful in pointing me toward ideas and resources that were central to the development of the thesis. In addition, I state my appreciation to Dr. Roger Grant, Dr. Pamela Mack, Dr. James Burns and Dr. Steven Marks. Dr. Grant made graduate seminars, particularly those outside my area of interest, both illuminating and enjoyable. From Drs. Mack and Burns I learned valuable lessons about the practical aspects of teaching, structuring lectures and the use of internet or other media to connect students with the learning process. Dr. Marks, my department graduate advisor, was a constant source of encouragement and timely advice. I am grateful to the History Department at Clemson for working with this alternative student over the past four years. The classes I took, the books I read, and even the undergraduate papers I graded were all part of a very positive experience. Finally, I acknowledge Armenica.org, the Perry-Castañeda Library and the Ancient World Mapping Project for reproductions of their maps. iv PREFACE The history of religions is a fascinating topic. Throughout the ages, humanity demonstrated a propensity to develop belief systems of some sort to help cope with the tragedies and complexities of life. From the deserts of Egypt to the forests of northern Europe, various cultures produced distinct religions which helped provide order and meaning for their societies. The history of Christianity is doubly fascinating. Some individuals find genealogy especially intriguing because of a desire to identify with their ancestors or to find connections with the past that help to clarify specific family characteristics; I view the history of Christianity in much the same way. Studying early Christianity forges a link with previous generations of Christians, no matter where they resided. The topic for this thesis evolved in a rather drawn-out manner. Almost two years prior to beginning my graduate work, I chanced to read a very provocative book. From the Holy Mountain: a Journey among the Christians of the Middle East was William Dalrymple’s narrative of his retracing of a pilgrimage made by two late-sixth century AD monks. His work became a tribute to the dwindling populations of once predominantly Christian areas, Asia Minor and the Levant. Reading the book sparked an interest in the early Christian history of the Middle East. That interest, however, was temporarily put aside when I re-entered academia after a long absence, specifically twenty years of home-schooling. Although I initially v drifted away from that area of interest, I eventually revived and refocused it, primarily as a result of several conversations with very helpful and insightful faculty members. Refocusing involved necessary narrowing of the topic. Two distinct areas were finally selected: Cappadocia and Armenia. Why those two? Cappadocia was interesting as it was an area of Asia Minor that many Christians, particularly Protestants, were not very familiar with, despite its rich Christian heritage and influence on Church theology. Armenia was then chosen for comparison and contrasts since it bordered Cappadocia and had an early Christian connection to that land. Tracing the history of Christianity in these specific locales involved addressing the question of whether certain historical particularities directly affected the localized development of the religion. Accordingly, specific political and cultural events were identified and studied as to their influence on Christianity as it formed in Cappadocia and Armenia. As a result of writing this thesis, I have come to a greater recognition of the almost inseparable link between politics and religion in the Near East during late antiquity. Many modern Americans find it difficult, if not impossible, to admit any inter- connection between the two. For American Christians the concept of separation of church and state poses yet another obstacle to realizing just how interrelated politics and religion often were in early Christianity. Christians sometimes want to believe that their religion developed from an entirely spiritual basis and that material considerations such as politics had no direct consequence on its development. However, such ideas were simply not part of the actual history of Christianity in Cappadocia and Armenia in the late-fourth and fifth centuries AD. vi The question, “What relevance does that hold for today?” probably arises. To me this topic has particular meaning in light of contemporary events in the Middle East. Politics and religion continue to affect that volatile area of the world. Whether the nation is Iran, Iraq or Israel, politics and religion are two significant factors that weigh heavily upon all decisions made by either national or local leaders. Particulars gleaned from studying earlier centuries help us as Westerners to perceive the unique relationship between the religion and politics and, hopefully, to understand its modern-day manifestations better. Knowing the early history of Christianity in what is now eastern Turkey and areas of the western Caucasus also serves another purpose. It helps moderns and Christians in particular to recognize and, hopefully, preserve the Christian heritage of an area which today is almost completely void of any Christian presence. Their experiences and their contributions helped to shape the course of Christianity far beyond their own borders. Those Christian communities in Cappadocia and even Armenia may no longer exist, but their legacy deserves to continue. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TITLE PAGE....................................................................................................................i ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................iv PREFACE........................................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................x ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................xi CHAPTER I. GEOGRAPHY OF ANATOLIA AND WESTERN CAUCASIA ..........1 II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF CAPPADOCIA..........................15 Designation ................................................................................15 Prehistory ...................................................................................16