Content

This unit will overview the history of the Christian church in Egypt during the post Arabic conquest period until the present time. It will discuss the available different sources such as the history of the Patriarchs, the history of Patriarchs attributed to Yusab Bishop of Fuwwah, the book of the Churches and Monasteries attributed to Abu al-Makarim. The unit will review the important authors of this period (the Golden age of the Christian Arabic texts), the efforts of the Copts to preserve their identity and the Martyrs and patriarchs of this period

Unit code: CH9300A

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Church History

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: St Athanasius College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Critically evaluate the basic historical sources of the Coptic Church

2.

Describe the role of intellectual laypeople in Coptic History

3.

Evaluate selected modern texts (e.g. legislation and fatwas) and their effect on the day-to-day life of the Christian community in Egypt

4.

Analyse the influences of the medieval period on Coptic tradition, art and literature

5.

Compare and contrast the Coptic Church with other Christian churches of North Africa during this period

Pedagogy

Required reading and additional reading resources

Indicative Bibliography

  • Armanios, Febe. Coptic Christianity in Ottoman Egypt. Oxford University Press, 2011
  • Atiya, Aziz Suryal, ed. Coptic Encyclopedia, New York: Macmillan, 1991. 8 Volumes.
  • Bat, Ye’or. The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians under Islam. Rev. ed. Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1985.
  • Bat, Ye’or. The Decline in Eastern Christianity under Islam: from Jihad to Dhimmitude: Seventh to Twentieth Century. Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1996
  • Fattal, Antoine. Le Statut Legal des Non-Musulmans en Pays d’Islam, Beyrouth: Imprimerie Catholique, 1958.
  • Gabra, Gawdat. Historical Dictionary of the Coptic Church. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2008. (recommended for purchase)
  • Khater, Antoine, and Oswald Burmester. History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church. Cairo: Imprimerie de l'Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale, 1970.
  • Mikhail, Maged. S.A. From Byzantine to Islamic Egypt: Religion, Identity and Politics after the Arab Conquest. I.B. Tauris, 2014
  • Swanson, Mark. N. The Coptic Papacy in Islamic Egypt (641-1517). The American University of Cairo Press, 2007
  • Tritton, Arthur Stanley. The Caliphs and their non-Muslim subjects: A Critical Study of the Covenant of ‘Umar. London: Oxford University Press, 1930.
  • Werthmuller, Kurt. J. Coptic Identity and Ayyubid Politics in Egypt, 1218-1250. The American University in Cairo Press, 2010
  • Gabra, Gawdat. Coptic Civilization. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2011

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Essay 2500 words

0 40.0
Essay

Essay 1500 words

0 35.0
Essay

Reflection paper (2000 words equivalent)

0 25.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 3 Aug, 2017

Unit record last updated: 2021-06-04 09:19:04 +1000