JOHN OF OTZUN

Also known as Hovhannes IV Otznetzi, Armenian Catholicos, called the Philosopher for his theological and canonical works; b. Otzun, 650; d. Dwin, 729. Esteemed for holiness and learning, he was chosen Catholicos in 718. Soon afterward he held a national synod at Dwin to reform the liturgy and discipline of the Armenian Church. In 726 he presided over a synod at Manzikert, which discussed the doctrine and union with the syrian (Jacobite) Church, and was the recipient of a letter from the Patriarch of Constantinople, Germanus I (715–730), urging the Armenian Monophysites to accept union with the Byzantine Church on the strength of the Christology of St. cyril of alexandria. His chief writings are: (1) a discourse (or pastoral letter) at the synod of Dwin insisting on preserving Armenian ecclesiastical traditions; (2) a treatise on the Incarnation (Contra Phantasticos ), stressing the two natures in Christ; (3) a work against the paulicians; (4) a reform of the Armenian Breviary; and (5) a collection of canonical works. Without mentioning the Council of chalcedon, his teaching generally follows its doctrines, although he sometimes employs different terms to emphasize various aspects of christology.

Bibliography: Domini Joannis Philosophi Ozniensis, Armeniorum Catholici opera, ed. and tr. j. b. aucher, Latin and Armenian eds., (Venice 1834). v. inglisian, "Die Armenische Literatur," Armenische und Kaukasische Sprachen, v. 7 of Hand-buch der Orientalistik, ed. b. spuler et al., (Leiden 1963) 174–175. a. grillmeier and h. bacht, Das Konzil von Chalkedon: Geschichte und Gegenwart, 3 v. (Würzburg 1951–54) 2:407–417. h. g. beck, Kirche und theologische Literatur im byzantinischen Reich (Munich 1959) 474.

[g. t. dennis]