The Spiritual and Educational Activities of Abraham Amirkhanian, an Armenian preacher of the Basel Evangelical Preaching Society
The Spiritual and Educational Activities of Abraham Amirkhanian, an Armenian preacher of the Basel Evangelical Preaching Society
Edilyan Hayk
Summary
Key words: Armenian press, schools, protestant, Shamakhi, Tiflis, preaching, “Ardzagank”, “Mshak”
Abraham Amirkhanyan was one of the prominent and influential Eastern Armenian figures of the evangelical movement, who contributed to the spread of evangelical ideas in various regions of Eastern Armenia and beyond. The important and distinctive episodes of Abraham Amirkhanyan’s biography, which relate to his spiritual and educational activities, as well as his parallel socio-political activities, are summarized in more than fifty years, which chronologically cover mostly the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century: from the years of his studies in Basel until his death, throughout the period, acting as a multilingual preacher, teacher, translator, publisher, press correspondent, and columnist.
Period of A. Amirkhanyan’s activity as an evangelical preacher and teacher began after completing his studies in Basel, starting its way in Shushi and Shamakhi, also covering Turkey and Persia, reaching as far as Finland, Germany, and Bulgaria. This entire course of Amirkhanyan’s preaching, educational, and public activities has been accompanied by contradictory and conflicting assessments, different perceptions, as well as constant waves of dissatisfaction and criticism, which have found their expression especially in the pages of the Armenian press, expressed by both individuals and church authorities.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58726/27382915-2025.2hs-97