Հովհան Օձնեցին իբրև պատկերամարտության քննադատ (նկատառումներ «Ընդդէմ պաւղիկեանց» երկի վերաբերյալ)

ԲԱՆԱՎԵՃ ԵՎ ՔՆՆԱՐԿՈՒՄ

Abstract

The article discusses the question, strange at first glance, concerning who the Catholicos of All Armenians Hovhannes Imastaser Odznetci (719-728) opposed to in his treatise “Against the Paulicians”, since the title of the book clearly suggests that it should be directed against the Paulicians. However, this book does not give a more or less complete picture of the history of the Paulician movement, its ideology, religious theological principles and philosophical ideas; moreover, the name “Paulicians” is mentioned there only once. According to the author, Odznetci’s attitude toward those who rejected worship of God and iconophilia, expressed in different parts of the book, reveals firstly, that his work is not as much against the Paulicians, but against iconoclasts and those who considered iconophilia as idolatry, as well as against the followers of Docetism who considered the Incarnation of the Word of God as merely an illusion, secondly, it is not aimed at criticizing the views of the ideological opponents of the church (the Paulicians), but at denying the arguments of the critics of iconophilia defended by the Church. In this sense, the title of the treatise does not reflect its content, and the titles “Speech in Defense of Iconophilia” or “Against the Iconoclasts” would fit better. Consequently, Odznetci’s treatise should be regarded not as much against the Paulicians, but rather as one of the most holistic works against iconoclasm in the common ecclesiastical literature (after Vrtanes Kertogh’s treatise and before John of Damascus’ “Three Sermons on the Dormition Feast”).