Besik Mishava

Abstract

 Besik Mashava Arabic Christian Thought in the Caucasus: The Reception of Theodore Abu Qurrah’s Ideas in the Georgian and Armenian Intellectual Spaces Abstract This paper explores the relationship of the Arabic Christian thinker and Bishop of Harran, Theodore Abu Qurrah (750–830 AD), with Old Georgian literature and the Caucasus region as a whole. It brings together early and medieval Armenian and Georgian intellectual accounts that collectively enable a discussion on the reception of Theodore Abu Qurrah’s thought. Consequently, we witness an influx of the 8th-9th century Syro-Palestinian tradition into the Caucasus region-manifested, on the one hand, in Armenian thought, and on the other, in Georgian intellect. The primary focus of this discussion will be the tendencies of assimilating Theodore Abu Qurrah’s works through the prism of Caucasian philosophy, specifically within Armenian and Georgian traditions. Furthermore, the paper addresses the early reception of his oeuvre in Georgia from the Arabic tradition, which is believed to have occurred during the 9th -10th centuries and is associated with an anonymous author. Moreover, two literary monuments of Theodore Abu Qurrah are noteworthy in the context of Armenian thought: the Letter to the Armenians and a short treatise Against the Armenians. An examination of these texts demonstrates what conditioned the relevance of Abu Qurrah’s ideas in Armenia and what motives guided him towards the Armenian people. Alongside this, within the context of Georgian thought, the paper analyzes the interrelation between the two Old Georgian recensions of the Martyrdom of Michael and the issue of linking Theodore Abu Qurrah to these versions. Finally, it is of great interest to establish Abu Qurrah’s relationship with Arsen of Iqalto Dogmatikoni, a compendium that includes Theodore Abu Qurrah's philosophical-theological treatises and dialogues. As a result of examining the aforementioned issues, the following key conclusions have emerged: 1. The growing dynamics of the concept of Caucasian philosophy; 2. The existence of documentary evidence regarding the reception of Theodore Abu Qurrah in the Caucasian region; 3. The international character of Georgian philosophy and theology; 4. A strong missionary wave in the Caucasian region rooted in the thought of Theodore Abu Qurrah.

საკვანძო სიტყვები: თეოდორე აბუკურა, კავკასიის რეგიონი, ქართული ფილოსოფია, სომხური აზროვნება, დოგმატიკონი, ინტერნაციონალური Keywords: Theodore Abu Qurrah, Caucasus region, Georgian philosophy, Armenian thought, Dogmatikon, International