Turkic Nestorianism in Kazakhstan and neighboring territories

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the question of spread of Nestorian Christianity among medieval Turks in Central Asia.

Nestorian Christianity in certain period was the most spread and influential branch of Christianity in Central Asia and neighboring territories. In some regions Nestorianism received significant development, the evidence of which are archeological materials and written sources.

Nestorian Christianity is associated with the teachings of the Byzantine archbishop Nestorius, a native of Syria, who became head of the Diocese of Constantinople in 428. The Diophysite teaching of Nestorius, based on the idea of the dual nature of Jesus as divine and human.

This article aims to review the available sources on Turkic Nestorianism, in an attempt to classify them and analyze the materials.

Sources on the history of Turkic Nestorianism in Kazakhstan and neighboring territories can be divided by origin into Syrian, Persian, Arabic, Byzantine, Chinese, native Turkic, and Syro-Turkic. Archaeological and epigraphic data play an important role. The authors analyzes the content of the Suja inscription and other texts, examines the essence of Nestorian ideas, and reveals the history of the emergence and spread of Turkic Nestorianism.