The Cross and the Crossroads: Religion, Geopolitics, and the Quest for Armenian Unity

"The Cross and the Crossroads: Religion, Geopolitics, and the Quest for Armenian Unity" examines the historical and contemporary tensions within Armenian national identity, arguing that the nation's survival in an increasingly hostile geopolitical environment depends on transcending internal religious and political schisms. Tracing the development of the Armenian Apostolic Church as a foundational pillar of national identity, the book explores how historical persecution has paradoxically both unified and fragmented the community, leading to deep-seated internal conflicts—from medieval suppression of heretical sects to the modern political assassinations and the profound contemporary crisis between the Armenian state and the Church. By analyzing the structural impact of these rifts, the book posits that the protection of constitutional secularism, religious tolerance, and civil liberties is not merely a social goal but an existential strategic imperative for Armenia as it maneuvers between global powers and faces concentrated regional threats.