Newmag Presents Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan’s New Book “Defeating Ourselves” (Trailer)

What should the Armenian Church do to help improve governance and strengthen national institutions? How can the state harness the spiritual potential of the Church and the power of faith? How do we build a unified partnership between the state, the Church, and the people? These are some of the central questions addressed in this thought-provoking book-message.

“Defeating Ourselves” offers reflections on key episodes in Armenia’s modern history, through the lens of state-church-nation cooperation. The book brings together the Archbishop’s public conversations and articles on national identity, civic responsibility, and the mission of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Compiled by a committee under the coordination of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the book lays out the Church’s ideological and programmatic positions on a broad range of issues. It also addresses one of the most persistent questions: why clergy speak on political matters. His response is presented both factually and clearly, from multiple perspectives.

Archbishop argues that Armenia’s defeat in war was not only military but moral, strategic, and organizational. He discusses the need to make the memory of the Armenian Genocide a systemic and enduring idea. The role of the Church in preserving national, spiritual, and Christian values across generations is also a recurring theme.

The author outlines how the Church can play a vital role in reforming and transforming key sectors of Armenian life, including education, science, culture, healthcare, and environmental protection.

With “Defeating Ourselves”, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan calls on readers to begin with self-reflection and self-mastery, reminding us that before we can win any external battle, we must first win the battle within.