Margaret Cormack's question is interesting in that the time when she finds
Armenians popping up in the West is also the time when Catharism popped up
there. There has been speculation, much-debated, about Bogomil or
Paulician infiltration into the West as a catalyst for Catharism. Could
there be a connection here? How orthodox were these bishops? Was either
heresy troubling Armenia at the time? Could they be coming to the West to
propagate, or to combat, Bogomils or Paulicians? Just a possibility, and
far enough out of my range that I may be dead wrong and ignorant of basic
literature. I'm spurred by R. I. Moore's discussions of the origins of the
Cathars in _Origins of European Dissent_.
Patrick Nugent
>Dear Learned Ones,
>although this request is related to my previous one (missionary
>bishops), it occurs to me that i may be addressing a different audience.
>I am trying to find out whether, in the Armenian church, there would
>be an office like that of a "missionary bishop" - a bishop not
>necessarily associated with a particular town or territory.
>As those of you who have seen previous messages on this subject will
>realize, I am trying to find out why stray armenian bishops keep
>popping up in the west (notably germany, the low countries, and
>iceland) in the 10th -12th centuries.
>conceivably military disruption in armenia itself is the answer;
>these may be genuine bishops, in exile or flight.
>however, id like to know whether there are any other possibilities.
>
>Margaret Cormack [log in to unmask]
>Dept. of Philosophy and Religion fax: 843-953-6388
>College of Charleston tel: 843-953-8033
>Charleston, SC 29424-0001
__________________________________
Patrick J. Nugent
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA
(765) 983-1413
[log in to unmask]
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