RELIGION IN GEORGIA’S SOCIOPOLITICAL LIFE

Teymuraz PANJIKIDZE

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Teymuraz Panjikidze, D.Sc. (Philos.), professor, head of the department of religious studies and ethics, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, head of the Republican Center of Religious Studies (Tbilisi, Georgia)

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Christianity was brought to Georgia by Apostles Andrew the First Called, Simon of Canaan, and Matthias. St. Nino of Cappadocia completed the Christianization process. Early in the 4th century, Christianity officially became the state religion and throughout the country’s history played a huge role in Georgia’s sociopolitical life. So it can be considered one of the older Christian states.

For many centuries the Georgians, encircled by enemies who professed a different religion and repeatedly tried to subjugate them and impose Islam on them, remained loyal to their faith. Christianity became a symbol of Georgia’s independence. At the same time, Georgia is a multinational and multi-confessional country; from time immemorial it has been populated by many different ethnic groups which followed different religions; some of them rooted in distant past are still very much alive. Jews brought Judaism to Georgia, Armenians belonged to the Armenian Apostolic Church, Arabs brought Islam to Georgia, which the local Muslims still confess; and the Catholic Church reached Georgia when Europe displayed a particular interest in…………………

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