Theological and Historical Inquiry into the 1915-23 Extermination of Christians under Ottoman Rule: Part I

This study examines the theological, juridical, and historical dimensions of mass violence as they appear in the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran, with particular focus on the extermination of Armenians and other Christian populations under the Ottoman Empire in 1915-23. This paper juxtaposes theological interpretations with the legal frameworks established by the Nuremberg Tribunal and later codified in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in order to examine whether the mass killings of 1915-23 should be understood as an ethnic genocide or, alternatively, as a form of religiously motivated violence articulated as jihad against Christian dhimmi populations. The evidence presented supports an interpretation grounded in political theology and historical jurisprudence. The analysis demonstrates how religious doctrines and legal hierarchies were instrumentalized by imperial authorities to justify persecution, thereby blurring the boundary between theological authority and state power. The article calls for a renewed theological and juridical reassessment of mass atrocities directed against religious communities, Ottoman Empire’s case within broader discussions of church-state relations, religious minorities, and crimes against humanity. Although a number of states have formally recognized the Armenian genocide, the systematic destruction of multiple Christian communities has seldom been analyzed through the lens of religious classification as a structural principle of mass violence. By addressing this dimension, the article contributes to ongoing scholarly discussions of church-state relations, political theology, and the legal classification of mass violence.