Copts in Context

Copts in Context

Negotiating Identity, Tradition, and Modernity

A comprehensive examination of this deeply traditional Christian religion as it confronts modernity

Though the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt is among the oldest Christian communities in the world, it remained relatively unknown outside of Egypt for most of its existence. In the wake of the Arab Spring, however, this community was caught up in regional violence, and its predicament became a cause for concern around the world. Copts in Context examines the situation of the Copts as a minority faith in a volatile region and as a community confronting modernity while steeped in tradition.

Nelly van Doorn-Harder opens Coptic identity and tradition to a broad range of perspectives: historical, political, sociological, anthropological, and ethnomusicological. Starting with contemporary issues such as recent conflicts in Egypt, the volume works back to topics—among them the Coptic language, the ideals and tradition of monasticism, and church historiography—that while rooted in the ancient past, nevertheless remain vital in Coptic memory and understanding of culture and tradition. Contributors examine developments in the Coptic diaspora, in religious education and the role of children, and in Coptic media, as well as considering the varied nature of Coptic participation in Egyptian society and politics over millennia.

With many Copts leaving the homeland, preservation of Coptic history, memory, and culture has become a vital concern to the Coptic Church. These essays by both Coptic and non-Coptic scholars offer insights into present-day issues confronting the community and their connections to relevant themes from the past, demonstrating reexamination of that past helps strengthen modern-day Coptic life and culture.

  • Cover
  • Copts in Context
  • Title
  • Copyright
  • CONTENTS
  • List of Illustrations
  • Series Editor’s Preface
  • Preface
  • Note on Transliteration
  • Introduction: Creating and Maintaining Tradition in Modernity
  • Part 1: Identity in Transition
    • The Copts in the January Revolution of 2011
    • The Undesirables of Egypt: A Story of Persecution and Defiance
    • Examining the Role of Media in Coptic Studies
    • Father Samaan and the Charismatic Trend within the Coptic Church
    • Transmitting Coptic Musical Heritage
  • Part 2: Challenges of the Diaspora
    • Singing Strategic Multiculturalism: The Discursive Politics of Song in Coptic-Canadian Protests
    • Coptic Migrant Churches: Transnationalism and the Negotiation of Different Roles
    • Strategies of Adaptation for Survival: The Introduction of Converts to the Coptic Orthodox Community in the Greater Toronto Area
    • Belonging to the Church Community: From Childhood Years Onward
  • Part 3: Tradition
    • The Revival of the Coptic Language and the Formation of Coptic Ethnoreligious Identity in Modern Egypt
    • Reading the Church’s Story: The “ʿAmr-Benjamin Paradigm” and Its Echoes in The History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria
    • The Evolution of Lent in Alexandria and the Alleged Reforms of Patriarch Demetrius
    • The Perfect Monk: Ideals of Masculinity in the Monastery of Shenoute
    • The Paradox of Monasticism: The Transformation of Ascetic Ideals from the Fourth to the Seventh Century
    • Reconsidering the Emerging Monastic Desertscape
  • Notes
  • Selected Bibliography
  • Contributors
  • Index

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