Dr. Ervine Lectures at GTS

Dr. Roberta Ervine, professor of Armenian Studies at St. Nersess, was honored to be the guest lecturer at the General Theological Seminary in New York City as part of the St. Nersess Fall Lecture Series. Her topic, “Medieval Armenians Consider the Image of God”, enabled an interactive lecture which looked closely at Genesis 1:26-27. Taking her audience back in time as a 13th century theological student in an Armenian monastery, Prof. Ervine asked the very questions a young student would have been confronted with by his teacher eight centuries ago: “If human beings are made in the image of God, what does that imply for our self-understanding?” and “How does it expand our human understanding of God?” Together, Prof. Ervine and guests studied images of ancient Armenian stone carvings of God and openly discussed the intricate details of these carvings and the implications found therein.

Over 70 clergy and lay people from multiple denominations attended the event. Following the lecture, two GTS professors offered thoughtful commentaries and then all continued discussions at a wine and cheese reception. Another St. Nersess lecture is planned at GTS for the spring semester.