Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity

Otto F. A. Meinardus

Description

A survey of the 20 centuries of existence of one of the oldest churches in the world
Christianity arrived early in Egypt, brought according to tradition by Saint Mark the Evangelist, who became the first patriarch of Alexandria. The Coptic Orthodox Church has flourished ever since, with millions of adherents both in Egypt and in Coptic communities around the world. Since its split from the Byzantine Church in 451, the Coptic Church has proudly maintained its early traditions, and influence from outside has been minimal: the liturgy is still sung to unique rhythms in Coptic, a late stage of the same ancient Egyptian language that is inscribed in hieroglyphs on temple walls and papyri. Dr. Otto Meinardus, a leading authority on the history of the Coptic Church, here revises, updates, and combines his renowned studies Christian Egypt, Ancient and Modern (The American University in Cairo Press, 1965, 1977) and Christian Egypt, Faith and Life (The American University in Cairo Press, 1970) into a new, definitive, one-volume history for the Millennium, surveying the twenty centuries of existence of one of the oldest churches in the world.

Sujets

• Croyance
• Christianisme
• History
• Egypt
• Histoire
• Middle Est

Informations

• Publié par: The American University in Cairo Press
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2002
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781617972638
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Copyright © 1999 by
The American University in Cairo Press
113 Sharia Kasr el Aini, Cairo, Egypt
420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018
www.aucpress.com
First paperback edition 2002
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Dar el Kutub No. 8554/02
ISBN-10: 161 797 263 8
e-ISBN-13: 978 161 797 263 8
5 6 12 11 10
Printed in Egypt
Contents
Introduction
1  Toward the Third Millennium
The Pontificate of Shenuda III
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Church
2  The Coptic Church: Its History, Traditions, Theology, and Structure
Traditions about the Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt
The Birth of Christ
From Bethlehem to the Nile Delta
In the Nile Delta
In the Nile Valley
The Return of the Holy Family to Palestine
Saint Mark the Evangelist and the Founding of the Church in Egypt
The Preaching and Martyrdom of Mark
The History of the Relics of Mark
The Return of the Relics of Mark
The Theological Contributions of the See of Alexandria
The Spread of Coptic Monasticism to the Orient and Occident
The Catechetical School and Theological Controversies
The Canon of the Holy Scriptures
The Writings of the Church Fathers
The Canons of the Coptic Church
The Pre-Nicene Canons
The Canons of the Councils and the Synods
The Canons of the Doctors of the Church
The Canons of the Middle Ages
Use of Coptic Canon Law Today
The History of Coptic Theology from the Fifth to the Twentieth Century
The Pre-Chalcedonian Theology
The Council of Chalcedon
The Post-Chalcedonian Theology
The Theology of the Middle Ages
Coptic Theologians of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
The Copts from the Seventh to the Twentieth Century
The Copts and the Arab Conquest
The Copts in the Middle Ages
The French Invasion
The Reign of Muhammad ‘Ali
The Coptic Enlightenment
The Emergence of the Laymen’s Movement
The British Occupation: Expectations and Frustrations
Toward Independence: The Wafd
The Patriarchates of Joseph II and Cyril VI
The Patriarchate of Shenuda III
The Copts and the National Struggle
Some Notable Coptic Families of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
The Coptic Sunday Schools, Cradle of the Twentieth-Century Renaissance
The Folk Religion of the Copts
The Coptic Mulid, Its Origins and Functions
The Healing Ministry of the Coptic Church
Mystical Phenomena among the Copts
From a National to an International Christian Community
Toward the Mia Physis, the One Nature of the Incarnate Word
The Coptic Diaspora
The Coptic African Mission
The Copts in the Holy Land and the Question of the Holy Places
3  The Coptic Church: Its Churches and Monasteries, Ancient and Modern
Early Christianity in Alexandria
Some Coptic Churches in Modern Alexandria
The Ancient Churches and Monasteries around Alexandria
The Lourdes in the Desert: Saint Menas
Cellia
The Coptic Monasteries of Wadi al-Natrun
Christianity in the Nile Delta
The Principal Towns and Villages
The Coptic Pilgrimage Shrines
The Coptic Churches of Old Cairo and Its Environs
The Coptic Churches of Babylon
The Coptic Churches of Old Cairo
The Coptic Churches North of Old Cairo
The Coptic Churches South of Old Cairo
Some Coptic Churches in Greater Cairo
The Churches and Monasteries between Cairo and Suhag
Between Cairo and Minya
Between Minya and Asyut
East of Asyut
Between Asyut and Suhag
The Churches and Monasteries between Suhag and Aswan
West of Suhag
East of Akhmim
Between Girga and Nag‘Hammadi
Between Nag‘ Hammadi and Luxor
Between Naqada and Qamula
The Churches and Monasteries of Thebes
The Churches in the Temples in and around Luxor
Between Luxor and Aswan
The Churches and Monasteries of the Fayyum
The Churches and Monasteries of the Western Desert
The Monastery of Saint Samuel at al-Qalamun
The Caves of Wadi al-Rayyan
The Christian Remains in Kharga Oasis
The Christian Remains in Dakhla Oasis
The Christian Remains in Bahariya Oasis
The Churches and Monasteries of the Eastern Desert
The Monastery of Saint Antony at Mount Clysma
The Cave of Saint Antony
The Hermitages in Wadi ‘Araba
The Monastery of Saint Paul the Theban
The Christian Ruins at Qattar
Appendix A: Marks of Identification: Tattoo and Name
Appendix B: The Patriarchs of the Coptic Church and the Rulers of Egypt
Appendix C: Language, Architecture, and Calendar
Appendix D: The Relics of Coptic Saints
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
T ODAY , the Coptic Church is experiencing an unprecedented renaissance. It is the purpose of this volume to unfold this story and acquaint the visitor to the land of the Nile with one of the most remarkable developments of world Christianity toward the end of the second millenium.
The history of Christian Egypt begins with the traditions of the visit of the holy family to Egypt, which were circulated to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt" (Hos. 11:1). The feast of the coming of the Lord to Egypt (June 1) is one of the important feasts for many Egyptian Christians. Undoubtedly, Egyptians filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the first day of Pentecost returned to their homes along the Nile Valley (Acts 2:10) and established there the first Christian communities. The Copts regard Saint Mark the Evangelist as the founder of their church. In Alexandria he preached and suffered martyrdom. The theology of the great Alexandrian doctors of the church, Clement, Origen, Athanasius, and Cyril, has had a profound influence on the development of Christian thought and piety. Both the eremitical and cenobitic forms of monasticism had their origin in Egypt: Saint Antony, the great hermit of the Eastern Desert, inspired thousands of Christians to follow his example; Pachomius became the founder of the Christian communal life.
At the same time, Coptic Christianity went through numerous trials, persecutions, and afflictions. The vast numbers of their martyrs are a testimony to their unshaken faith. During the Middle Ages, the Coptic Church kept the lamp of their faith burning amid trials and tribulations of all kinds.
With an ever increasing number of visitors to Egypt and greatly improved facilities for travel within the country, there is now an imperative need for an introductory volume to the history and theology of the Coptic Orthodox church and the topography of its principal churches, monasteries, and monuments. To this day, large numbers of visitors flock annually to the ancient pharaonic monuments in Luxor and Aswan to behold the magnificent achievements of the ancient Egyptians. Few of them realize, however, that Egypt was once a great Christian nation, with its churches, monasteries, institutions, and culture established throughout the Nile Valley. Indeed, one of the objectives of the present volume is to encourage scholars and visitors to depart from the tracks beaten by tourists and to discover some of the ancient and modern Christian monuments for themselves.
This work combines in a single volume some of the specific Coptic material of my former studies Christian Egypt, Ancient and Modern (Cairo 1965, 1977) and Christian Egypt, Faith and Life ( Cairo 1970). Due to the rapid and dynamic developments within the Coptic Orthodox Church during the last thirty years, numerous additions and corrections to the original texts became obligatory. Moreover, in view of the major theme of this book, it was necessary to limit a certain amount of the material. Therefore, descriptions and references to the other Christian communities in Egypt, along with the Greek, Armenian, and Syrian Orthodox churches, the various Catholic and Uniate churches, and the Episocopal and Protestant churches have been omitted; this should not be seen as an assessment of their religious importance in Egyptian society.
In duty bound I want to thank Zora O’Neill, who has carefully read the manuscript and offered many valuable suggestions. Her priceless computer expertise has made the publication of this volume possible. In conclusion, I should like to express my gratitude to the director and staff of the American University in Cairo Press, who have assisted me in the process of publication.
1
Toward the Third Millennium

The Pontificate of Shenuda III
T HE unprecedented revival of the Coptic Church toward the second half of the twentieth century is one of the great historical events of world Christianity. Whereas in many parts of the world, historians recognize a certain stagnation of the Christian witness, the sons and daughters of the pharaohs are filled with an unheard-of enthusiasm for the establishment of the kingdom of God and for evangelization through their Coptic Church.
This spiritual renaissance had its beginnings half a century ago—in the forties and fifties—in the Coptic Sunday School movements in Cairo, Giza, and Asyut. Inspired by the challenges they experienced in the Sunday School classes, young men consecrated their lives to God and joined the desert fathers. Especially in the Monastery of the Syrians under the able leadership of Anba Tawfilus (Bishop Theophilus), they were prepared for the work of rejuvenating their church.
Following the enthronement of Pope Cyril VI in 1959, some of the former Sunday School teachers and monks and hermits were called to the episcopacy in order to occupy responsible positions in the life and organization of the church. Among these young men was Nazir Gayyid, later known as Abuna Antonius al-Suriani (1954–62), then Shenuda, bishop for theological and educational institutions of the Coptic Church (1962–71), and now as Shenuda III, the present pope and patriarch.
Both the pontificate