The First Christian Nation? Keeping Up with the Armenians (Heather Ohaneson)

The Biblical Mind

Despite the rich history of Armenia as an ancient Christian community, many Christians know very little about the Armenian ethnicity, culture, nation, and faith. In this episode, Dru interviews Dr. Heather Ohaneson, pastor of Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church, about Armenian history from the early days of the church until now, along with her experience as an evangelical Protestant Armenian pastor. They discuss the culture, language, and global migration of the Armenian people, and the aftermath of the Armenian genocide and recent conflicts on their nation. And yes, the Kardashians get a mention.

Dr. Heather Ohaneson is the pastor of Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church in Havertown, Pennsylvania. She received her PhD in philosophy of religion from Columbia University, and taught at George Fox University and Azusa Pacific University. Currently, she is pursuing an MDiv at Princeton Theological Seminary and ordination in the United Church of Christ to continue to serve the Armenian Evangelical community.

Show notes:

• 0:00 The first Christian nation in history
• 4:44 The current conflict in Armenia
• 5:55 The Armenian language and dialects
• 6:49 The Armenian genocide
• 9:20 Modern Armenians
• 14:04 Protestant and evangelical churches
• 16:11 The gifts of Armenian Christianity
• 20:00 Heather Ohaneson's background
• 23:00 The spread of Armenian evangelical churches

Show notes by Micah Long