The Armenian Apostolic Church as an Establishment (Institute) of Civil
The Armenian Apostolic Church as an Establishment (Institute) of Civil Society
Poghosyan Garik
Summary
Key words: Armenian Apostolic Church, Universal civil society, global turbulence, faith-based organizations, participatory function
In recent years, Armenian scientists have paid sufficient attention to the multiplicity of global challenges. However, the issue of the formation of global civil society has largely been overlooked. From our perspective, civil society formation has individual, local and global dimensions which makes delving into its complexity a transcendental necessity. The article discusses the possibility of augmenting the number and quality of civil society institutions as an answer to the challenge of global civil society formation. In order to deepen and broaden the conceptual foundations of civil society, the article suggests considering the recognition of traditional institutions as civil society institutions. The article adopts a global perspective and analyzes its implications for local civil society transformation. More specifically, it discusses the role of the Armenian Apostolic Church as a civil society organization drawing parallels between its civil functions and the plurality of universal challenges, including international examples of pro-active faith-based organizations. Thus, the Church is seen as a networking and organizational powerhouse: something that is required for civil society formation.