The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Challenges of Democratic Development in Armenia

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in democratization processes in the Republic of Armenia. The narrative of the first Christian nation and the Armenian Apostolic Church has historically played an important role in shaping the identities (e.g., national, political and cultural) of the Armenian nation throughout history. Taking this fact into consideration, the contribution proposes that the Armenian Apostolic Church, as one of the most trusted institutions in Armenia, has real potential to impact the country's political decision-making processes. To this end, it is quite important to focus on the relationships among civil society, political elites and the Church. This approach will shed light on the limitations of the Armenian Apostolic Church in supporting the democratization of Armenia. Regarding the relationships between political society and the Church, one can conceptualize such relationships as hegemonic. The Apostolic Church plays an important role in establishing and supporting the hegemony and legitimacy of the ruling regime, which makes them loyal to each other's policies and ideologies. Next, the contribution will attempt to understand the attitude of the Apostolic Church toward civic activism or civic actions against the ruling regime and vice versa.