A. A. MINASYAN, Colonel (Ret.), PhD in Philosophy, Associate Professor, Head, Center for Research in Military-Humanitarian Sciences, INSS, MOD, RA

SUMMARY

The analysis of the early medieval written sources proves that on adopting Christianity as the state religion certain changes as to the perception of responsibility of the Motherland’s armed protection took place in the national consciousness. If previously that responsibility had been viewed at as undaunted and selfless protection of the native country’s borders, royal power, as well as countrymen’s safety, then now the duty of protecting the Christian creed, spiritual and material values of the Armenian Apostolic Church and its priests’ lives added to it. Notably, the provisions of the Christian creed regarding the transnational universal values, detached from ethnic belonging of a Christian, the love for enemies, the forgiveness and nonviolent resistance collide with the necessity to defend the Motherland with arms.

The attempt of reconciling those two diametrically opposite theses required implementation of significant theoretical and practical skillfulness on the secular and clerical leaders’ part. However, they succeeded in solving this problem through including the institutions of the Christian religion into the notion of the Motherland. Now the Motherland defenders fought not only for the independence of their country, but also to protect the creed, for the preservation of spiritual and material values of the Armenian Apostolic Church and its churchmen. Moreover, in the particularly difficult conditions the churchmen themselves fought with arms in hands side by side with warriors and militia.