Oxford Panel Examines Armenian Church and Ecumenical Dialogue

A panel discussion at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, explored the history, theological culture, and ecumenical engagement of the Armenian Church as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Scholars and church leaders reflected on the Armenian Church’s distinctive Christian tradition and its contribution to wider theological dialogue.

The panel included Theo van Lint, Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies, and Anthony O’Mahony, Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, and  Sebastian Brock, Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford, who offered a response focusing on the historical and theological relationship between the Armenian and Syriac Churches and the question of ecumenical dialogue and exchange. The discussion was chaired by Fr Dominic White OP, Prior of Blackfriars.

Speakers addressed Armenia’s early adoption of Christianity and the development of a theological tradition in which faith, culture, and identity remain closely connected. The Armenian Church’s long experience of survival amid political and cultural pressures was presented as a key context for its theology and ecclesial life.

Ecumenical engagement formed a central theme, with discussion focusing on the Armenian Church’s dialogue with the Catholic Church and the theological insights emerging from shared history and worship. Some focus was given to the historical encounter between the Dominican Order and the Armenian Church, in particular noting the translation of the work of Thomas Aquinas into Armenian some seventy years after his composition.

Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland, joined the concluding discussion. He thanked the speakers and responded to questions from the audience, particularly on the Armenian Church’s approach to ecumenical engagement in the contemporary Christian context.