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HOLY TRINITY THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE

A COURSE PLAN FOR THE SUBJECT “HISTORY OF ETHIOPIAN

ORTHODOX TEWAHEDO CHURCH”

GIRMA BATU (MEMHER)

This course deals with the historical development of the EOTC in the last 2000 years. As it is
known, the church has remarkable and unique features, never to be found in the rest of the
Christendom. To have a clear understanding on these features of EOTC, the course also
discusses about the early practice of Judaism in Ethiopia, with signs that affirm real existence
of monotheistic culture in the ancient Ethiopia. As a result of this it is very broad and distant.
It encompasses religious, cultural, political history of the Church, as well as the country.
These issues need a historical and theological consideration and analysis so as to meet with
dogmatic positions taken by the church and the historical background for it.

Many theologians, historians and, anthropologists have written on aspects of the Ethiopian
history without having adequate knowledge, familiarity, and authority on it. Easily, we can
observe misunderstandings, misrepresentation and imposition of wrong ideas for their own
sake. Now, there is a desperate need to introduce and promote an insider’s/Ethiopian
perspective for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s history to develop better
understandings.

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

 As a remedy of those wrong impositions and deliberate insertions of wrong ideas and
representations enabling students to develop an Ethiopian perspective is the main
objective of the course.
 It also tries to familiarize the students with the historiography-a method, technique,
principle of evaluating documents, internal and external developments of Ethiopian
history and the church, the various types and differences of narrations, legends, fancy
tales etc.

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 Also efforts will be made to correct some historical fallacies by crosschecking

available documents and at the end an effort will be made to reconstruct samples of
writing EOTC’s history.

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE

The course, entitled as “HISTORY OF ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX TEWAHEDO

CHURCH”, has three parts given in three semesters. The first one, mainly deals with the
ancient backgrounds of EOTC, its unique Features, first establishment, consolidation and
expansion until the medieval period.

FIRST SEMESTER

HISTORY OF EOTC I

Ancient History of the EOTC

I. Introduction: Historiography
II. Etymology of Ethiopia, Orthodox, and Tewahedo
III. Monophysite, Miaphysite, and Duophysite Christology.

Chapter One: Pre Christian History of Ethiopia

1.1. Polytheism
1.2. Judaism
1.2.1. Historical Aspects
1.2.2. Signs for the Early Practices of Judaism

Chapter II: Introduction of Christianity to Ethiopia

2.1. First Evangelization/ the Ethiopian Eunuch

2.2. Second Evangelization, Consolidation by Frementius

2.3. Third Evangelization/expansion with the coming of the Nine Saints

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Chapter III: Some Important Figures in Ethiopian Church History

III.1. Life, reign, and contributions of Atse Caleb

III.2. Life, reign and contributions of Atse Gebre Meskel
III.3. Life and works of St. Yared

Expectations

The course will enable students to know the main motives behind historical controversies,
and tries to show some possible ways of solutions.

At the end of the course, students will have a better understanding on the history of Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church with emic perspective.

MAIN TEXTS

AMHARIC BOOKS/ አማርኛ መጻሕፍት

 ተክለ ጻድቅ መኩሪያ፥ የኢትዮጵያ ታሪክ፡ኑብያ አክሱም ዛጉዌ

 ኅሩይ ወ/ሥላሴ፥ ዋዜማ

 አስረስ የኔሰው፥ትቤ አክሱም መኑ አንተ

 አዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርሲቲ፥ ክብረ ነገሥት፥ ግእዝና አማርኛ፥ 2005።

 ደሴ ቀለብ (መ/ር) ፥ ታሪከ ነገሥት፡ ከምኒሊክ እስከ ምኒልክ፥

 ገድለ ቅዱስ ያሬድ

 ገድለ አባ ሰላማ

 ገድለ አባ አረጋዊ

 ግርማ ባቱ፣ የኢትዮጵያ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ታሪክ፡ ከጥንት እስከ ስድስተኛው ክፍለ ዘመን፣
ጃጃው አታሚዎችና ዴቨሎፐርስ፣ 2014 ዓ.ም.

ENGLISH BOOKS

 Edward, Ulendorff. Ethiopia and the Bible, Oxford University Press, 1967.
 Henz, Paul. Ethiopia: Layers of Time. London: Hurst & Co. Ltd, 2002.

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 Morgan, Margaret. Continuities and Tradition in Ethiopian History. Ethiopian

Observer, III, II, 1964.
 Sergew, Hable Sellasie. Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History to 1270, 1972
 Taddese, Tamerat. Church and state in Ethiopia, 1972.

SECOND SEMESTER

MEDIEVAL HISTORY OF EOTC

This period starts with the Dark Age, which by itself begins with the rise and
expansion of Islam. The situation was also aggravated by the decline and fall of
Axum. Lack of spiritual guidance with absence of bishops, those who were
coming from Egypt, internal troubles, bad economic situation, and some
spiritual factors contributed for the decline of Axum. The destructive invasion of
Judith/Gudit brought the fall of Axumite dynasty. Foreign historian see the
emergence of Zagwe Dynasty as new phenomenon in the history of Ethiopian
state formation. They also think about the EOTC as major opponent of the
dynasty. Internal perspectives reject this notion and prefer to historicize that it
was a continuation of the same state. The same period recorded revival of
monasticism and so called restoration of Solomonic dynasty. Among the
unfavorable conditions, Islamic expansions and challenges seen till the invasion
of Ahmed Gragn and its consequences. Methods and approaches are the same
with the first semester.

PART TWO

MEDIEVAL HISTORY OF EOTC

CHAPTER FOUR

4. DARK AGE IN ETHIOPIA

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4.1. Rise and Expansion of Islam

4.2. Decline and Fall of Axum

CHAPTER FIVE

5. Spiritual Revival in Wollo-Hayq, Lasta…

5.1. Rise of Zagwe Dynasty

5.2. Revival of Monasticism

5.2.1. Abba Eyesus Moa

5.2.2. Abba Tekle Haymanot

5.2.3. Abba Ewostatewos

5.3. Restoration of Solomonic Dynasty

5.3.1. The Three-fold Agreements

5.3.2. Bete Tekle Haymanot and Bete Ewostatewos

5.3.3. The Council of Debre Mitmaq and Atse Zera Yaqob

5.3.4. Emperor Zara Yaqob’s Religious orders

5.3.5. conflicts of the time

CHAPTER SIX

6. Islam and Jesuit Missionaries

6.1. The Invasion of Ahmed Gragn

6.2. Consequences of the Invasion

6.3. The coming of the Portuguese military forces

6.4. Christological controversies in 16th -17th century Ethiopia

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MAIN TEXTS

AMHARIC BOOKS/ አማርኛ መጻሕፍት

 ብፁዕ አቡነ ጎርጎርዮስ፡ የኢትዮጵያ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ታሪክ፥ ትንሳኤ ዘጉባኤ፥ 1986።

 ተክለ ጻድቅ መኩሪያ፥ የኢትዮጵያ ታሪክ፡ኑብያ አክሱም ዛጉዌ፥ _______፥ 1951።

 ገድለ ቅዱስ አባ ኢየሱስ ሞዓ

 ገድለ ቅዱስ አባ ተክለ ሃይማኖት

 J. S. Trimingham. Islam in Ethiopia, Oxford University Press: 1952.

 Sergew, Hable Sellasie. Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History to 1270, Haile
Sellasie University Press: 1972.
 Taddese, Tamerat. Church and state in Ethiopia, 1972.

THIRD SEMESTER

HISTORY OF EOTC IN THE MODERN PERIOD

This period has shown many and multifaceted external factors, impacts and
interferences on Ethiopia’s religious and political arenas. As a continuation of
the previous period, the emergence of sects-Qebat and Tsega, and their ethnic
association troubled the wellbeing of the church and state. The Era of the
Princes by its side brought dis-unification and collapse of the monarchy. So, the
Re-unification process of Atse Tewodros, the centralization process of Atse
Yohaness, and the Re-expansion policy of Atse Menelik are significant
contributions for the life of the church in those disastrous times. Main focus is
given to the survival of orthodoxy and its invaluable role for the then state to
be sustained.

PART THREE

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THE HISTORY OF EOTC IN THE MODERN PERIOD

CHAPTER SEVEN

7. JESUIT MISSIONARIES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES

7.1. Qebat doctrine and its regional association

7.2. Tsega/Sost lidet [three births doctrine and its regional

association

7.3. The EOTC in the Era of the Princes

CHAPTER EIGHT

8.1. The EOTC during the reign of Atse Tewodros

8.2. Tewodros’s attempt at reunification of the church

8.3. Catholic and protestant missionaries during Tewodros’s reign

CHAPTER NINE

9.1. Atse yohannes and his attempt of re-centralization

9.2. The council of Boru Meda and its decisions

9.3. Consequences of the council and re-Christianization of wollo

CHAPTER TEN

10.1. The Church during Atse Menelik’s Time

10.2. Expansion and re-integration processes

10.3. The Battle and victory of Adwa and the EOTC

CHAPTER ELEVEN

11.1. The EOTC during the Reign of Atse Haile Sellasie

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11.2. The independence of the EOTC from the Coptic Church

11.3. Points leading to separation of church and state

MAIN TEXTS

 መንግስቱ ለማ፥ መጽሐፈ ትዝታ ዘአለቃ ለማ፥ አዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርሲቲ ፕሬስ፥ 2003።

 Abir, Merdochai. Ethiopia: The Era of the Princes, the Challenges of Islam and the
Reunification of the Christian Empire, 1769-1855. London: Green Co. Ltd, 1968.
 Bahru, Zewde. A History of Modern Ethiopia 1855-1991. Addis Ababa
University Press, 2002.

 Crummey, D. Priests and Politicians. Protestant and Catholic Missions in Orthodox

Ethiopia 1830–1868. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972.
 Donald, Crummey. Imperial Legitimacy and the creation of Neo-Solomonic Ideology
in 19th-Century Ethiopia. EHESS, 1988.

OTHER IMPORTANT MATERIALS

ናሙና አማርኛ መጻሕፍት

 ዳንኤል ክብረት፥ ኢትዮጵያዊው ሱራፊ፥ ፋር ኢስት ትሬዲንግ፥ 2011።

 ተክለ ጻድቅ መኩሪያ፥ የኢትዮጵያ ታሪክ፡ ከአጼ ይኩኖ አምላክ እስከ አጼ ልብነ
ድንግል፥ ተስፋ ማተሚያ ቤት፥ 1949።

 ተክለ ጻድቅ መኩሪያ፥ የኢትዮጵያ ታሪክ፡ከአጼ ልብነ ድንግል እስከ አጼ ቴዎድሮስ፥

ተስፋ ማተሚያ ቤት፥1961።

 ተክለ ጻድቅ መኩሪያ፥ የኢትዮጵያ ታሪክ፡ከአጼ ቴዎድሮስ እስከ አጼ ኃይለ ሥላሴ፥

ተስፋ ማተሚያ ቤት፥2000።

 ተክለ ጻድቅ መኩሪያ፥ አጼ ዮሐንስና የኢትዮጵያ አንድነት፥ ኩራዝ አሳታሚ፥1982።

Sample English Books

 Caulk, R.A. “Religion to State in the Nineteenth Century Ethiopia”. Journal of

Ethiopian Studies, Vol X, I, Addis Ababa, 1972.

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 Crummy, Donald. “Tewodros as Reformer and Modernizer”. Journal of African

Studies,Vol X, III, Great Britain, 1969.
 E.A. Wallis, Budge. A History of Ethiopia: Volume I. Routledge, 2014.
 E.A. Wallis, Budge. A History of Ethiopia: Volume II. Routledge, 2014.
 Gamst, Frederick. Qemant: A Pagan Hebraic Peasantry of Ethiopia. Rice University:
Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1969.
 Gebru Tareke Ethiopia, Power and Protest: Peasant Revolts in the Twentieth
Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
 Hussein Ahmed. Islam in the Nineteenth Century Wollo, Ethiopia: Revival, Reform
and Reaction. Leiden: Boston, Brill, 2001.
 Jones, M.H and Monroe, Elisabeth. A History of Abyssinia. Clarendon Press, 1935.
 Mekuria Bulcha. “Priests, Religion and Language in Ethiopia, the Oromo
Commentary”.Vol. IV, No. 1: 8-11. 1994.
 Mere’id WoldeAregai. “Ya TewodrosAlmawochKaYetEndamenachu.” In
TaddeseBeyene and et.al (eds) Kassa and Kassa: Papers on the Lives, Times and
Images of Tewodros II and Yohannes IV, 1855-1889. Addis Ababa: AAU, IES, June
1990.
 Negussie Ayele. “Ras Alula and Ethiopian Struggle against Expansionism and
Colonialism”. In TaddeseBeyene and et.al (eds) Proceedings of the International
Symposium on the Centenary of Dogalli. Addis Ababa: AAU, IES, Oct 1988.
 Stuart, Munro-Hay. The Quest for the Ark of the Covenant. Tauris, 2005.
 Taddese Tamerat. Persecution and Religious Controversies.” in Sergew Hable Selasie
(eds) A Panorama of History and Spiritual Life. Addis Ababa: 1971.
 Teshale Tibebu. The making of Modern Ethiopia 1896-1974. The Red Sea Press INC,
1995.
 The ministry of information. Ethiopia: the cradle of history. Addis Ababa, 1989
 Trimingham, J Spencer. Islam in Ethiopia. London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd, 1965.
 Zewde Gebre Selasie. Yohannes IV of Ethiopia: A Political Biography. Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1975.