The Council of Shirakavan (or Shirakawan) () was a

union council Union council may refer to: *Union Council of Ministers The Union Council of Ministers is the Cabinet (government), principal executive organ of the Government of India, which serves to aid and advise the President of India in execution of t ...

held between the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

, the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

, and the Syriac Jacobite Church from April to October 862 in the Armenian city of Shirakavan.Igor Dorfmann-Lazaref, ''Arméniens et Byzantins à l'époque de Photius : deux débats théologiques après le Triomphe de l'orthodoxie'', éd. Peeters, 2006 The purpose of the council was to seek unity among these three churches and to clarify the

Christological In Christianity, Christology is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would be in the freeing of ...

positions upheld by the Armenian Apostolic Church and, to a lesser extent, by the Syriac Jacobite Church. The council was made possible by the support of the leaders of the different churches,

Photios I of Constantinople Photius I of Constantinople (, ''Phōtios''; 815 – 6 February 893), also spelled ''Photius''Fr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., and Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Mate ...

and

Zacharias I of Armenia Catholicos Zacharias I of Armenia was the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 855 and 876. During his reign a severe earthquake rocked Dvin, during which Zacharias offered powerful prayers. It is said his prayers protected Dvin's c ...

. The backing of the Bagratid

King of Armenia This is a list of the monarchs of Armenia, rulers of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Kingdom of Armenia (336 BC – AD 428), the medieval Bagratid Armenia, Kingdom of Armenia (884–1045), various lesser Armenian kingdoms (908–1170) ...

, Ashot the Great, further strengthened the possibility of the council, which finally took place in 862. Photios later considered this council a success, but it was forgotten due to changes in political alliances and the

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

support for

Ashot Ashot or Ashod () is an Armenian given name. Notable persons with the name include: Kings of the Bagratuni dynasty * Ashot Msaker (Ashot the Carnivorous) (died 826), Armenian prince *Ashot I of Armenia (Ashot the Great, 820–890), ruled 885–890 ...

. However, even if it was forgotten after taking place, the council is still recognized by the

Background

In September 861, the Patriarch of Constantinople,

Photios I Photius I of Constantinople (, ''Phōtios''; 815 – 6 February 893), also spelled ''Photius''Fr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., and Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Mate ...

, himself from

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

origins, attempted to bring the

Armenian Church Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

into union with the

by addressing two letters to the

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

: one to Catholicos Zacharias I of Tzak and another to King

Ashot I of Armenia Ashot I (; c. 820 – 890) was a king of Armenia who oversaw the beginning of Armenia's second golden age (862 – 977). He was the son of Smbat VIII the Confessor and was a member of the Bagratuni dynasty. Life Early life Ashot was born aroun ...

, both of whom responded. The Armenian Catholicoi had previously engaged in several attempts to reunite with the Eastern Orthodox Church. In these letters, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Photios, argued that Zacharias descended from

Thaddaeus Jude the Apostle (Ancient Greek: Ἰούδας Ἰακώβου translit. Ioúdas Iakóbou Syriac/Aramaic: ܝܗܘܕܐ translit. Yahwada) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is generally identified as Tha ...

, while Zacharias claimed that Photios descended from

Andrew Andrew is the English form of the given name, common in many countries. The word is derived from the , ''Andreas'', itself related to ''aner/andros'', "man" (as opposed to "woman"), thus meaning "manly" and, as consequence, "brave", "strong", "c ...

, thus acknowledging an apostolic origin for both sees as part of the discussion. The search for doctrinal reconciliation with non-Chalcedonian churches was likely motivated in part by the quest for an alliance to combat the Arabs and the preparation of the military campaign that culminated in the

Battle of Lalakaon The Battle of Lalakaon (), or Battle of Poson or Porson (), was fought in 863 between the Byzantine Empire and an invading Arab army in Paphlagonia (modern northern Turkey). The Byzantine army was led by Petronas (general), Petronas, the uncle ...

in 863. The assassination of the

Caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

Jafar al-Mutawakkil in 861 and the changes in the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...

may have also provided more room for Christians to engage in theological debates.

Timeline and consequences

Timeline

A council was convened which, after a joint liturgical celebration, brought together Zacharias and other Armenian bishops, as well as King Ashot, who favored the idea of doctrinal rapprochement between the two churches. Archbishop John of Nicaea in Thrace represented the

, while Deacon Nonnos of Nisibis represented the Syriac Jacobite Church, providing significant moral weight to the Aramaic-Syrian side compared to the Byzantine representation. Archbishop John of Nicaea was likely knowledgeable about Armenian customs, explaining why he was sent by Patriarch Photios. Photios' letters served as the basis for the doctrinal discussions, and the adopted canons are considered to reflect his positions, albeit remaining relatively neutral to avoid shocking the

. Photios was well aware of the prejudices directed against the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; ) was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bithynia (modern-day Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey) from 8 Oct ...

within the

Consequences

The success of the council, in the eyes of the

Abbasids The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes i ...

, reflected the authority of King Ashot, who likely aspired to unify the Christian populations in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

precisely to strengthen his position against the Muslims. Shortly after the council, he was granted the title of "Prince of Princes" by the Arab governor of Armenia, Ali Ibn Yahia. For the Byzantines, the council was perceived as a success, and Photios wrote five years later, in 867, that the Armenians had returned to the "true faith". However, after the

strengthened the power of Ashot, Armenian diplomatic policy shifted, and a political and doctrinal alliance with the Byzantine Empire took a back seat. As a result, the achievements of this council were forgotten, especially after the death of Catholicos Zacharias and in the years leading up to 880. Ashot's successor,

Smbat I of Armenia Smbat I (; 850–912/14), sometimes Smbat A Martyr () was the second king of the medieval Kingdom of Armenia of the Bagratuni dynasty, and son of Ashot I. He is the father of Ashot II (known as Ashot Yerkat) and Abas I. Rule Smbat I was cr ...

, continued this policy of alliance with the Abbasid authorities and turned away from the agreement reached at the Council of Shirakavan. Nonetheless, the council remained acknowledged by the

until the 21st century.

Decisions

Historical and theological analysis

The council's decisions consisted solely of canons, numbering 15 in total, with 12 of them taken from a previous union

council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

held in

Manazkert Malazgirt (; ; ), historically known as Manzikert (), is a town in Muş Province in Turkey. It is the seat of Malazgirt District. To avoid disturbing the

party, the council refrained from using overtly

Chalcedonian Chalcedonian Christianity is the branches of Christianity that accept and uphold theological resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon, the fourth ecumenical council, held in AD 451. Chalcedonian Christianity accepts the Christological Definitio ...

terms, except in its canons 13 and 14. In canon 13, it condemned the Armenian

Miaphysites Miaphysitism () is the Christological doctrine that holds Jesus, the Incarnate Word, is fully divine and fully human, in one nature (''physis'', ). It is a position held by the Oriental Orthodox Churches. It differs from the Dyophysitism of the ...

who pretended to accept the

for personal gain. In canon 14, it addressed the Armenians who might recognize the theological arguments of the

, the

Second Council of Constantinople The Second Council of Constantinople is the fifth of the first seven ecumenical councils recognized by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. It is also recognized by the Old Catholics and others. Protestant opinions and re ...

, the

Third Council of Constantinople The Third Council of Constantinople, counted as the Sixth Ecumenical Council by the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and by certain other Western Churches, met in 680–681 and condemned monoenergism and monothelitism as heretical a ...

, and the

Second Council of Nicaea The Second Council of Nicaea is recognized as the last of the first seven ecumenical councils by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. In addition, it is also recognized as such by Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics and others. ...

, yet continued to accuse these councils of being

Nestorian Nestorianism is a term used in Christian theology and Church history to refer to several mutually related but doctrinarily distinct sets of teachings. The first meaning of the term is related to the original teachings of Christian theologian ...

. Canon 14 is seen as an attempt to allow

convinced of the correctness of

positions to be able to join this profession of faith without being condemned by the

. The council is also noted for its influence on the theology of Armenian art. The theological interpretation of the council's scope varies among scholars.

Jean-Pierre Mahé Jean-Pierre Mahé (, born 21 March 1944, Paris) is a French orientalist, philologist and historian of Caucasus, and a specialist of Armenian studies. Kh. Karadelyan, « Մահե, Ժան-Պիեր Հանրի Մարի » (« Mahé, Jean-Pierre Henri ...

and T.W. Greenwood believe that the intended case was the conversion of

Miaphysitism Miaphysitism () is the Christological doctrine that holds Jesus, the Incarnate Word, is fully divine and fully human, in one nature ('' physis'', ). It is a position held by the Oriental Orthodox Churches. It differs from the Dyophysitism of ...

Dyophysitism Dyophysitism (; from Ancient Greek, Greek δύο ''dyo'', "two" and φύσις ''physis'', "nature") is the Christology, Christological position that Jesus Christ is in two distinct, inseparable natures: God in Christianity, divine and human natur ...

and not the other way around. However, Igor Dorfmann-Lazarev offers a more nuanced view, suggesting that the council aimed to establish a ''modus vivendi'' within the

, which had been embroiled in significant conflicts between

Chalcedonians Chalcedonian Christianity is the branches of Christianity that accept and uphold theological resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon, the fourth ecumenical council, held in AD 451. Chalcedonian Christianity accepts the Christological Definition o ...

and

does not deny this perspective; he sees it as a form of tolerance, albeit one favoring Byzantine positions, a view shared by T.W. Greenwood and K. Maksoudian.

Notes and references

{{Christian History 9th-century church councils Eastern Orthodox Church councils Syriac Orthodox Church Armenian Apostolic Church 862 Nature of Jesus Christ