Gregory the Illuminator

Gregory the Illuminator is the figure credited with converting the king of Armenia in the early fourth century and so bringing Armenia to adopt Christianity as its state religion. The Armenian Apostolic Church venerates him as its first head. His Armenian name is Grigor Lusavorich; "Lusavorich" means "one who gives light," hence the epithet "the Illuminator" or "the Enlightener." Knowledge of his life rests mainly on the History of the Armenians, transmitted in the fifth century under the name of Agathangelos. Because this work contains many legendary elements, much of what follows should be regarded as tradition.

Life

According to tradition, Gregory's father, Anak, was a Parthian nobleman who assassinated the king of Armenia. When Anak's family was wiped out, only the young Gregory survived. He was taken to Caesarea in Cappadocia (modern Kayseri, Turkey), where he is said to have been raised in the Christian faith.

As an adult he returned to Armenia and entered the service of King Tiridates III, but he refused the king's order to offer sacrifice to the goddess Anahit. This refusal, together with his father's assassination of the king, led to his imprisonment in a deep pit, where tradition says he remained for about thirteen years. Khor Virap Monastery now stands on the site traditionally identified as that prison.

Tradition further relates that after the king executed a group of consecrated Christian virgins, he fell gravely ill. The king's sister, prompted by a revelation in a dream, had Gregory released, and the king was healed through Gregory's prayers. The king was then baptized and made Christianity the religion of the realm.

Ministry and Achievements

• Establishment as state religion: Armenian Church tradition commemorates Armenia's adoption of Christianity as its state religion as having taken place in 301, though some scholars place it around 314. In either case, it is known as a national conversion that occurred at about the same time as, or earlier than, the Roman Empire's legal recognition of Christianity.
• Episcopal consecration: He was consecrated bishop in Caesarea and, on his return, became the first head of the Armenian Church.
• Church organization: He built churches on the sites of pagan temples and appointed bishops throughout the country, establishing an ecclesiastical structure. Etchmiadzin Cathedral is also said to have been built in accordance with a vision he received.
• Succession: His son Aristakes is reported to have attended the Council of Nicaea (325) as Armenia's representative. For some time afterward, the leadership of the church remained in his family.

The Armenian Apostolic Church traces its origins to the preaching of the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew and regards Gregory as the one who restored that faith. For this reason it does not accept the name "Gregorian Church," which outsiders sometimes apply to it.

Assessment

Churches of both East and West hold him in high esteem as the "Apostle of Armenia." He is also regarded as the figure who established the religious identity of the Armenian people.

Historians note, however, that the records of his life were written long after the events they describe and contain many miracle stories, and some therefore hold that their chronology and details cannot be accepted at face value. Some researchers also argue that the conversion had a coercive character, pointing out that it was carried out from the top down through royal authority and that pagan temples were destroyed in the process.