The book we are reviewing for June is The Coptic Christian Heritage: History, Faith, and Culture edited by Sister/Dr. Lois M. Farag. The book is divided into three sections; the first about the History of the Copts, the second about the Faith of the Copts, and the third about the religious and material culture of the Copts. Each chapter is written by an expert in their field and essentially summarizes their vast experience in their subject matter. It is edited by Lois Farag, a Harvard educated Coptic nun with a Ph.D. in Theology, who is currently a professor of Early Church History in Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
The Coptic Christian Heritage book is unique in the sense that it was able to gather the elite scholars of Coptic studies and put their immense experience in an easy to read, accessible book. It goes through the entire history of the Copts in less than a hundred pages which is an achievement in its own right, distilling the essence of the Coptic story without neglecting the important geopolitical events that shaped them. Dr. Maged Mikhail’s (Early Islamic Period) and Dr. Febe Armanios’s (Ottoman Egypt) historical analyses shine through and serve as a summary of their more detailed and technical books on their subjects.
However, the two most important chapters that really make the book a masterpiece are “Theology: Defining Orthodoxy” and “Monasticism: Living Scripture and Theological Orthodoxy”. Both chapters have been contributed by Sister/Dr. Farag and she clearly spent a lifetime of scholarship exploring what it means to hold the intellectual and the practical faith of the Copts. I have yet to find a better overview or a clearer explanation of the Miaphysite theology of the Copts or the Christological issues surrounding the Council of Chalcedon. Many of the works on the Miaphysite theology are polemic in nature and lack an appreciation of important background geopolitical events—not this work though. Sister/Dr. Farag’s work is scholarly, easy to read, and can be clearly understood even if the reader doesn’t have much background information on this complex subject.
I highly recommend this book for all of those interested in the Coptic heritage and culture. As a special bonus, the references at the end of each chapter serve as an excellent resource for those interested in a more detailed and in-depth study of specific subject matters.
Note about our book review pieces:
This month’s book review was written by Jonathan Adly. These books are meant to be a good entry point to learn more about the Copts. Our goal is to highlight books that are easily accessible, easy to read, and that shine a light on the Copts and their issues. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at copticvoiceus@gmail.com.
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