vardapet

plural vardapets · alternative vartabad · alternative vartabed · alternative vartabet · alternative vartapet · alternative wardapet

1. ChristianityA highly educated archimandrite in the Armenian Apostolic Church tradition who holds a Doctorate in Theology.

   At the hour appointed most of the brethren met at the house of the vartabed; but found no one there to accuse or oppose them. They now had considerable conversation with the vartabed, and gave him some wholesome advice.

   1844 July, “A Friend—Vacillation of the Vartabed”, in The Missionary Herald. Containing the Proceedings of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions: With a View of Other Benevolent Operations, volume XL, number 7, Boston, Mass.: Press of T. R. Martin, 24 Congress Street, →OCLC, page 233, column 1

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   There is nothing particular to be mention'd concerning the Archbiſhops and Biſhops of the Armenians, […] It were only to be wiſh'd they diſcharg'd their Duty; but they have no Zeal, and are ſunk into the moſt wretched Ignorance, and are often less eſteem'd than the Vertabiets. Sometimes they are Biſhops and Vertabiets at the same time, that is to ſay, Bishops and Doctors. These Vertabiets, who make ſuch a noiſe among the Armenians, are not in reality great Doctors; but they are the moſt conſiderable Men of the Country, or at leaſt paſs for ſuch.

   1741, Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, “Letter VIII. Of the Manners, Religion, and Commerce of the Armenians”, in A Voyage into the Levant: Perform'd by Command of the Late French King. …, volume III, London: Printed for D. Midwinter, R. Ware, C[harles] Rivington, A. Ward, J. and P. Knapton, T[homas] Longman, R. Hett, C. Hitch, S. Austen, J. Wood, and J. & H. Pemberton, →OCLC, page 243

   Cyriacus of Gandzak, vardapet, a writer of the 13th century. He has composed a History of Armenia, covering a period of near a thousand years. […] Vardan Vardapet of Baretzer-berd, of the 13th century, a fellow-disciple of Cyriacus of Gandzak, profoundly learned, and especially distinguished as a linguist. He has left us a complete history of Armenia from the time of Haik down to his own period.

   1860 October, “Proceedings of the American Oriental Society. New Haven, October 17th and 18th, 1860.”, in Journal of the American Oriental Society, volume VII, New Haven, Conn.: For the American Oriental Society, printed by E. Hayes, printer to Yale College, published 1862, →OCLC, page iii

   The hardest trial of all to bear was the cruel bastinado, which the vartabad at length resorted to, seeing that other means failed. A young man was called into the presence of this church dignitary, and required to sign the patriarch's creed. Refusing to comply, he was placed on the floor and beaten with sticks on the soles of his feet, the vartabad assisting with his own hands in inflicting this cruelty.

   1867 July, “Mission Work in Turkey”, in The Missionary Magazine, volume XLVII, number 7, Boston, Mass.: American Baptist Missionary Union, Missionary Rooms, 12, Bedford Street, →OCLC, page 214, column 1

   Even if these treatises are not Mantagouni's but were written in imitation of Saint Chrysostom, the fact that they are addressed by an Armenian Vartabet (learned doctor) to the Armenian people is an evidence that theaters existed in Armenia. This, in its own turn, is an evidence of high culture and civilization among the Armenians.

   1930, Kevork A[vedis] Sarafian, History of Education in Armenia, La Verne, Calif.: Press of the La Verne Leader, →OCLC, page 28

   A peculiar and important rank in the Armenian hierarchy, conferred by a sort of ordination rite, is that of vartapet. He is a hieromonk or widowed priest of superior learning and ability, especially authorized to preach and teach.

   1961, Donald Attwater, The Christian Churches of the East, new edition, volume 2 (Churches not in Communion with Rome), Leominster, Herefordshire: Thomas More Books, →OCLC, page 227