Vardapet

James R. Russell said that the Middle Persian form indicates that the Christian Armenian title was adopted on the model of a Sasanian Zoroastrian office.[1][7] The Armenian Church has fourteen ranks of vardapet, which are granted to celibate priests who have completed special education and presented a thesis.[8] The canons of the vardapet-hood were recorded by the medieval jurist and theologian Mkhitar Gosh, while Gregory of Tatev laid out the fourteen ranks of vardapet and the rules for their granting, which are used today by the Armenian Church.[6] The term erkotasan vardapetk’ 'twelve vardapets' refers to the twelve great early Christian church leaders venerated in the Armenian Church: Hierotheos the Thesmothete, Dionysius the Areopagite, Sylvester I, Athanasius of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ephrem the Syrian, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, Epiphanius of Salamis, John Chrysostom, and Cyril of Alexandria.[7] A number of prominent Armenian Christian authors are grouped together under the name t’argmanich’ vardapetk’ 'translator vardapets': Mesrop Mashtots, Elishe, Movses Khorenatsi, David the Invincible, Gregory of Narek, Nerses the Gracious, John of Odzun, John of Orotan, and Gregory of Tatev.
A vardapet's crozier with a double-headed serpent, first quarter of the 19th century
The composer Komitas , one of the most famous vardapets, in a veghar (Armenian priest's cowl)
crozierKomitasArmenianhieromonksArmenian Apostolic Churcharchimandritedoctor of theologyMiddle PersianParthianJames R. RussellZoroastrianClassical ArmenianMesrop MashtotsArmenian alphabetcelibate prieststhesisMaster of DivinityDoctor of DivinityMkhitar GoshGregory of TatevUniversity of GladzorHierotheos the ThesmotheteDionysius the AreopagiteSylvester IAthanasius of AlexandriaCyril of JerusalemEphrem the SyrianBasil of CaesareaGregory of NyssaGregory of NazianzusEpiphanius of SalamisJohn ChrysostomCyril of AlexandriaElisheMovses KhorenatsiDavid the InvincibleGregory of NarekNerses the GraciousChristian monasticismGregory the IlluminatorApostleKomitas VardapetOriental OrthodoxyRussell, James R.Pope John Paul IIOrmanian, MalachiaVillari, LuigiThomson, Robert W.Le Muséon