Page 197 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

198 The Armenian Church

ently and comprehensively. The Christian
faith became a strong identity marker. Ar-
menians found their very being, their true
identity, and the raison d'être of their life
in the Christian faith. The 5th Century, the
Golden Age, became a turning point in this
process. Christianity was fully appropriated
by the people, leaving an indelible mark on
the people's self-understanding, self-articu-
lation, and self-realization. Because of the
Armenian Church's pivotal role in the
invention of the Armenian alphabet and the
creation of a rich culture, as well as its deep
involvement in the nation's struggle for
liberation and freedom, it was mainly in and
through the Church that the sense of being
Armenian was expressed and reinforced. It
was through the Church that the Christian
faith became 'nationalized,' that the national
conscience was formed, that the sense of na-
tional belonging was invigorated, and the
national ideology was shaped and protected.
The identification of the Christian faith
with the daily life of the people was so
profound that in the words of Yeghishe (5th
C.), Christianity did not become simply "a
dress that one can change, but the color of skin."
When an attempt was made to convert the
Armenian people to the Zoroastrian reli-
gion, the Armenian people with one voice
said: "From this faith no one can shake us,
neither angels nor men, neither sword nor fire