THE REPORTED INFORMATION OF THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY HARRISON DWIGHT ABOUT THE SPREAD OF PROTESTANTISM AMONG THE ARMENIANS OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Protestantism became popular among Armenians generally through American missionaries, and already at the end of the 19th century, the number of Armenian Protestants, particularly in Western Armenia, saw a significant growth. Throughout their mission, the American Protestants collected a large volume of materials, which they later published and currently have an important sourceological value. The work “Christianity Revived in the East, or a narrative of God's work among the Armenians of Turkey”, authored by Harrison Gray Otis Dwight is an essential source for a comprehensive study of the history of the spread of Protestantism in the Western Armenia. The latter, as an eyewitness and a direct participant of the process, provides us with interesting information, owing to which his work serves as a valuable source. However, it should be noted that the events and phenomena are sometimes presented by the author through the prism of biased, as well as just personal perceptions. The author's religious affiliation and the fact that he was an active preacher certainly influenced the entire process of writing the work. So, the author expresses his thoughts and gives his assessments from the point of view of his own religious, denominational and geopolitical perceptions. The article presents the historiographical significance of this work in terms of studying the history of the spread of Protestantism among Western Armenians.