The book we are reviewing for July is Habib Girgis: Coptic Orthodox Educator and a Light in the Darkness By Bishop Suriel. Coptic bishops writing academic books are a very rare thing in modern history. There is no doubt that Bishop Suriel has broken a ceiling for the Copts with his monumental book about a modern visionary and a saint, Habib Girgis.
The book is not a hagiographical account that idealizes its subject: rather, it’s a telling of a complicated era of the Copts where they were stuck between a modernizing elite intellectual class highly influenced by the West and a traditional institution that resisted the inevitable changes. In this environment comes Habib Girgis with his radical ideas at the time that clergy must have formal theological education and that the Church must offer education to its children alongside secular education.
It’s born from Bishop Suriel’s 900-page doctoral dissertation at Fordham University. In the book, one can see clearly the serious academic work that was put in to make the book come to life. Original letters from Habib Girgis chronicling his struggles pepper the pages of the book. Important documents that lay open the struggles of the Coptic community are recorded in the book. One such document, the Papal Bull of Pope Demetrius II against Protestant missions, is a classic example of Coptic history that shouldn’t be forgotten.
The history that the book tells is extremely relevant to the Copts today. Now, we have several academic institutions that are linked to the Coptic heritage at some level. Some are completely independent from the Church, some are very closely linked, and some are in between. Habib Girgis would be conflicted. Thanks to his lifetime of work, Copts have mostly accepted that theological education is an important piece of building a vibrant, growing church, but the tensions between intellectuals and clergy that he successfully negotiated are still there. Issues like the role of women in the Coptic Church, Coptic identity outside of Egypt, and the relationship with other Churches are the new battleground. Visionary leaders like Habib Girgis are again in demand. In his time, the West came to Egypt to change the Copts. In our time, the Copts have left Egypt to change and be changed by the West.
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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