Mkhitar Gosh and the Armenian Theological Tradition Between Homeland and Diaspora

Mkhitar Gosh, one of the most influential figures in the history of the Armenian Church, was born around 1140 in the city of Gandzak (present-day Ganja in Azerbaijan) and was educated at some of the most prominent monasteries in the northern region, eventually attaining the rank of vardapet (given to scholar monks, roughly equivalent to an archimandrite). After receiving this rank, which designated him as scholar and gave him the right to teach, he traveled to the Cilicia region. At the time, the two regions were starkly divided intellectually, theologically, and culturally. This paper argues that this very literal mobility and Gosh’s monastic trajectory influences the characteristics of Gosh’s intellectual and theological approach. It suggests that Gosh’s mobile trajectory between these two regions can serve as an example for a recurring theme and problem in the Armenian experience: the disjoint between Armenian life in the traditional homeland and in diaspora.