St. Nersēs the Gracious and Church Unity:Armeno-Greek Church Relations (1165–1173) (review)

As Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, Aram I stands in an ecumenical tradition that characterizes the Cilician hierarchy of the Armenian Church. The progenitor of this ecumenical tradition, more accurately a lasting spirit of ecumenism, is the saintly Catholicos Nersēs IV, known as the Gracious (in office 1165–66). Much has been written on his manifold contributions to the Armenian Church as theologian, hymnographer, poet, and statesman; in recent decades he has been acclaimed by both Armenian and non-Armenian churchmen as a prophet of today’s ecumenism, even a pioneer of the ecumenical movement. However his polyvalent and saintly life is regarded, Nersēs was certainly far ahead of his time as one deeply concerned about the unity of the Church. He was genuinely involved in a conciliatory dialogue with the Greek Church, engaging Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (reigned 1143–80) and Patriarch Michael III of Constantinople (in office 1170–78).

The two-part study was originally a thesis written in 1974. In part 1 the author surveys the historical background of the rapprochement: the ecclesiastical and political realities of several centuries and the more immediate circumstances in the shadow of which initiatives were taken and negotiations begun. He then turns his attention to the historical developments during the negotiations, documenting their every aspect. Fortunately, the primary sources accounting for the full cycle of events are preserved in Armenian: from the initial correspondence to the end of the negotiations. Furthermore, a diary of the two-phased dialogue is extant in Greek, written by Theorianos, the imperial/patriarchal representative at the negotiations held in Hromklay in 1169 and 1171. As Catholicos Aram notes, some work remains to be done in the area of reconciling the Greek and Armenian sources. A translation of the Armenian documents constitutes part 2 of the book, followed by an epilogue, a bibliography, and indices. A map highlighting the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the neighboring principalities is provided at the end.

After elaborating on the doctrinal openness of the Armenian Church vis-àvis the dogmatic position of the Greeks, the author highlights the three guiding principles espoused by Nersēs in his ecumenism that ought to be imperatives for Christian unity: (1) “the communion of love and the spirit of fellowship must continue to sustain the relations of the churches”; (2) “churches should overcome isolation and stagnation and become involved in frank dialogue and closer cooperation”; and (3) “without minimizing the importance of their own theological teachings and doctrinal positions, the churches must transcend their divergences” that are often the result of varying semantic understanding and nontheological factors (pp. 95–96). Similarly, the epilogue “Looking Forward with a Renewed Vision,” underscores the relevance of Nersēs’s vision of church unity for our times (pp. 213–19). The epilogue is tempered by the author’s years—indeed decades—of ecumenical involvement and leadership.

In this lucid book Aram I has opened up ancient sources with echoes of modernity, an old window with interesting and new perspective on today’s ecumenism.