Doctor of Philology
Invited Lect
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0000-0001-9182-2066
nino.popiashvili@yahoo.de

On the Function of Proselytism in the Hagiographical Paradigm

In some medieval Georgian hagiographical texts, certain characters are depicted as proselytes. Among them, some are ethnically Georgian (such as the Colaean youths), while others are foreigners. For example, Rajden, the first martyr, is Persian; Eustathius of Mtskheta is Persian; Abo of Tbilisi is Arab.

When composing hagiographical narratives about proselytes, the authors’ motivations are twofold. On one hand, the description of the martyrs’ lives is significant from a Christian perspective, often intertwined with considerations of national identity. On the other hand, the depiction of foreign proselytes’ religious devotion carries importance from a national and cultural standpoint.

Notably, foreign proselytes in Georgian hagiography, who are martyrs, often belong to the same ethnic groups that persecute the protagonist. This form of proselytism — that of a foreigner from another ethnicity and their martyrdom — is extremely rare in Christian tradition and reflects the particularities of the Georgian political and cultural context.

 

Keywords: Proselytism, Hagiographical Literature, Late Antique and Early Medieval Literature, Georgian Literature.