THE IMAGE OF MAN AND LEADER IN NERSES SHNORHALI’S “ENCYCLICAL EPISTLE” (DEDICATED TO THE 850TH ANNIVERSARY OF “ENCYCLICAL EPISTLE”)
The theological, literary, religious and musical rich heritage of the great Armenian thinker, poet, musician-composer, historian, political and ecclesiastical figure Nerses Shnorhali (1100-1173) was highly appreciated by literary critics, musicologists and prominent representatives of other spheres of intellectual culture. Incidentally, his poetical works, Armenian liturgical chants (շարական-sharakan), riddles were more often studied and evaluated than his prose works, including “Encyclical Epistle”. Meanwhile, it is one of Nerses Shnorhali’s exclusively valuable prose works which has theological, historical, publicistic, social and political directivity. The renowned diplomat and writer of the Renaissance Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) wrote the genius book titled “The Prince” covering the state management basics. In that famous work the types of states and governments are discussed and recommendations are given on the government of state, conquest of new countries and cities, establishing relations with the subjects, leading military affairs, etc.
More than three centuries before the great Italian, Nerses Shnorhali with his admonitions and exhortations, suggested provisions of management for different levels that are most complete, humanistic and universal. In different theories of leadership developed in the 20th century the same criteria are highlighted in the behaviour of the leaders that have been preached for generations as divine commandements by Nerses Shnorhali.
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