By Hagop Kortomosian
Mesrob G. Kouyoumdjian’s “A Comprehensive Dictionary Armenian-English.” published in Beirut by Atlas Press (1970) defines the Armenian word Antastanռ Անդաստան, as a “piece of land”. In fact that is what the word literary means, a vast expanse. However, it has taken altogether different connotation in Armenian liturgy and literature. The word also implies mankind in the “four corners” of the earth. Taniel Varoujan, the eminent Armenia poet, has a poetry titled Antastan where, much like in the liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the poet conveys his wishes for peace and prosperity for mankind in the East, West, North and South. Therein lies my reluctance to find an appropriate synonym in English for use in presenting the book’s title in English.
“Spiritual Antastan” - Հոգեւոր Անդաստան is a scholarly work. It is a compilation of thoughts ecclesiastical fathers have shared through the past many centuries. The authors of these quotes are not necessarily Armenians, but their literary works have been translated to Armenian and constituted part of the curriculum of the education at the Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia from which Hagop Kortmosian graduated. Surely, he should have carried his interest in their works well after his graduation and has kept abreast of their literary works to cite from such extensive sources over wide raging issues.
All in all, Hagop Kortomosian has quoted over 90 authors spanning from the early Christian period to modern times. He has presented a brief biography of each. He has categorized their thoughts over wide raging issues we face in our daily lives. Quoting randomly some of the states or issues among the over fifty he has categorized alphabetically, a reader will find the thoughts of these ecclesiastical fathers pertaining to: freedom, prayer, repentance; obedience and fear of God, family and parents; life, wealth, belief, pride, hope and hopelessness; the holy trinity, communion etc. Under each Hagop Kortmosian has quoted anywhere from three to over 10 sources.
The Armenian apostolic church has a unique term for seminary and the seminarians – Jarankavorats. The term means inheritors. These young boys are educated to be the inheritors of all that the Armenian Apostolic Church has stood for since its foundation right after the Armenians accepted Christianity as their state religion in 301AD. Graduates of the seminary then are offered the choice for priesthood, both celibate or married. Some espouse priesthood, others not. Hagop Kortmossian has embraced the laity as his calling. He is now married. He and his wife are the proud parents of a year old son, Hovag. Hagop carries his mission as a lay advocate of what Christianity stands for. This book is a testimony to his calling.
The book is 198 pages (6×9 inches) long. It is in soft cover. It makes for a good bedside companion to read chapter by chapter and not necessarily in order. Each chapter is an entity in itself. The book retails on Amazon.com at this address:
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