War
- “Even from Agatangeghos’ account it is clear that the triumph of this new force was assured only after a decisive period during which Gregory the Illuminator “relied on the King’s terror and instruction to secure obedience from all” (p443). Preaching meekness and mildness to his flock Gregory the Illuminator and his allies did not consider such virtues appropriate to their own proselytising work. In the Christian conversion force and war clearly played a role immensely more important than the preaching of the priests! The Church evidently cared less about the salvation of souls and more about attaining power and wealth for itself.”
Iconoclasm and wealth acquisition
- “While Gregory the Illuminator is naturally depicted as playing the decisive role, the success of the enterprise was crucially dependent on the Christian alliance with King Drtad and the subsequent deployment of the royal army in the service of the new religion. It was only after cementing this pact that Gregory “received sanction from the King, his princes and lords” to “commence the task” of “demolishing, destroying, annihilating and removing from the face of the earth the scandal” of paganism. (p437). With “peremptory instruction from the King” the “entire royal army” proceeded to wage veritable war to “annihilate even the memory of these false deities that dared assume the name of god”. (p437) The vast scale of this campaign is not only described in detail, but told with a measure of satisfaction too.”
- “The Christian war opened with the now Christian army marching on the town of Ardashad “there to destroy the temple of the goddess Anahid” (p437). On its way, in a strategically and ideologically significant move, the army “first set about destroying, wrecking and burning” the renowned pagan “centre of learning and godly wisdom” said to have been established by Ormist (p437). Thereafter the tide of devastation and looting raged across the entire land as every possible pagan temple and statue was levelled and its land and wealth appropriated by the victorious Christian Church. "
- “The Christian Church then set about consolidating its newly established supremacy. It first sought to secure a degree of popular acquiescence and support through the distribution of some pagan wealth including much “gold and silver” to “the poor, the suffering and the propertyless” (p439, 2441). The Church however made sure to retain for itself monopoly control of the source of wealth. It seized all pagan “land and buildings along with the resident serfs and (including even) pagan priests”, now no doubt transformed into servants of the new religion (p441). Thus it ensured the population’s permanent subordination to itself as it emerged as a dominant political and economic power in the land.”