«Հոգևոր աշխատանք» - հարցազրույց հայր Մեսրոպ ԱՌԱՄՅԱՆԻ հետ

Karen Agekyan's article is devoted to an interview with Fr. Mesrop Aramyan, founder and director of the radio station "Vem," in which the mission of religious broadcasting, the specific character of preaching activity, and the dogmatic foundations of the Armenian Apostolic Church are discussed.

Introduction and context
The occasion for the conversation was the activity of the radio station "Vem," which has been operating since January 2002 and presents itself as a spiritual oasis in the Armenian airwaves, combining Christian preaching, classical music, and educational programs. The author notes the relevance of the audio format in conditions where contemporary people are losing the habit of reading but retain the capacity to perceive the spoken word.

From book to radio: the logic of the spiritual mission
Fr. Mesrop Aramyan speaks about the transition of the theological center "Gandzasar" from book publishing to radio broadcasting. Key points:

the main goal of the activity is not scholarly work but the salvation and transformation of the human soul;
radio is regarded as a continuation of the ancient tradition of oral preaching, going back to the times when most people could not read;
the spoken word engages a different type of perception than written text and is capable of reaching a person under any circumstances — at home, on the road, at work.

Structure and content of the broadcasting
The interviewee describes the diversity of the station's formats: original preaching programs (over 700 broadcasts in six years), catechetical courses, children's programs, discussions on worldview topics, polemics against atheism and spiritual syncretism, as well as classical music as a means of attuning the listener to serious perception. The use of internet resources for distributing recordings in the diaspora is noted, including the application of "Vem" materials in Sunday schools of the Spyurk (diaspora).

Pastoral service and the preparation of preaching
Fr. Mesrop's exacting attitude toward the quality of preaching is emphasized: the necessity of constant study of theological, philosophical, and scientific literature, reliance on the works of the Church Fathers, and responsibility before the sacred tradition, which the preacher is called to transmit rather than replace with personal experience.

The dogmatic distinctiveness of the Armenian Apostolic Church
A significant part of the conversation is devoted to the question of the relationship of the AAC to the Chalcedonian Churches and to the justification for the rejection of the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon of 451. Fr. Mesrop sets forth historical-theological argumentation:

fidelity to the Alexandrian theological tradition (Athanasius the Great, Cyril of Alexandria);
doubts about the purity of the intentions of the organizers of the Council of Chalcedon, which was under the control of the imperial authorities;
circumstances that weakened the position of the Armenian clergy in the period following the Battle of Avarayr;
the preservation of fidelity to the decisions of the three Ecumenical Councils as the foundation of the self-identification of the Armenian Church.

Conclusion
The key conclusion of the interview is that the radio station "Vem" represents a contemporary form of continuation of the centuries-old tradition of oral Christian preaching, and that the dogmatic position of the Armenian Apostolic Church is based not on conformism or a blurring of doctrinal boundaries, but on a historically grounded and reasoned fidelity to the apostolic Tradition — one that demands of the contemporary preacher deep theological preparation and personal spiritual responsibility.