According to ancient church history, the Coptic Orthodox Church is among the earliest churches worldwide ( Ragheb, 2019 ). The apostolic was founded in Egypt in the first century by the apostle, Saint Mark. The Coptic Orthodox Church was a preservative church that conserved the Orthodox Christian faith in its original form. Besides maintaining the initial Christian faith, the church ensured that the conserved faith is handed down through other generations, thus remaining true to worship patterns and apostolic doctrines. The Coptic Orthodox Church's spiritual approach emphasized the divine mysteries, canons of Holy Scripture, holiness, the teaching of the church fathers, and Orthodox creeds. This paper will focus on the history, theology, spirituality, liturgy, current state, strengths, and weaknesses of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
The Coptic Orthodox Church History
The Coptic Orthodox Church was initially established in Egypt about 55 A.D., thus becoming one of the earliest denominations worldwide. Other churches founded include the church of Athens, the Roman Catholic Church, Antioch's church, and the Church of Jerusalem. According to the Coptic Orthodox history, the Copts believes that the church was founded by Saint Mark (Westbrook, 2017). Mark was one of the apostles sent by Jesus Christ and the author of the Gospel of Mark. Mark accompanied his cousin Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary but later returned to Jerusalem. In Egypt, Saint Mark preached and ordained seven deacons and one bishop, Ananias.
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Saint Mark also founded the school of Alexandria, which was primarily aimed to teach orthodox Christianity. Establishing the school was one of the greatest accomplishments of Saint Mark. By 180 A.D., the school of Alexandria had transformed and became a center for teaching theology and also secular learning ( Tawfik, 2017 ). After the school was established, it served as the cornerstone for Coptic teaching. Some of the school's distinguished leaders included Athanasius, who wrote the Euthanasian creed, which is still recited by Christian churches to date.
In 451 A.D., at Chalcedon Council, Coptic Christians separated themselves from the Roman Catholic Church. The splitting was brought about by Coptic Orthodox Church teaching only one nature of Christ. In reality, the Coptic Orthodox Church was not Monophysite, but Miaphysite, meaning that the church recognized both divine nature and human joined inseparably by the Logos Incarnate, one Nature of God. Besides Constantinople's and Rome's accusations, politics also played a major role in the Chalcedon schism. The politics accused the Coptic Orthodox Church leader of heresy. Due to the accusations, the Coptic Orthodox Church's pope was exiled, and Byzantine emperors were introduced in Alexandria. The introduction of Byzantine emperors resulted in the persecution of several Copts.
By 645 A.D., the Arabs began their conquest of Egypt. Muhammad, the leader of the Arabs, instructed their followers to be kind to the Copts. As such, the Copts were allowed to practice their religion after paying protection tax. The Copts realized relative peace for some time before the second millennium. During the second period, further restrictions were enacted to obstruct Coptic worship. Due to the strict laws, some Copts converted to Islam until the 12th century, when the protection tax was lifted, and Copts were allowed to serve in the army ( Westbrook, 2017 ). In 1919, the Egyptian Copts' rights were recognized after a major revolution championing the Egyptian Copts' right to be recognized.
The Coptic Orthodox Church Theology
The Coptic Orthodox Church adopted a theological position called miaphysitism, a theological position supported by most oriental orthodox denominations ( Liebeschuetz, 2017 ). The Coptic Orthodox used the ‘incarnate’ word meaning that Jesus is completely heavenly and entirely human in one physis. The Copts failed to use the wording recognized by the Council of Chalcedon that Jesus Christ is a single individual in two natures. The Coptic Orthodox Church's theology is based on Cyril of Alexandria's teachings, which states that Jesus Christ exists in two forms.
In Egypt, the theological conflict between Melchites and Copts arose in the 4th and 5th centuries. The theological conflict arose after the Chalcedon Council rejected a belief that Jesus Christ had only one divine nature. The council of Chalcedon affirmed that Jesus Christ had two natures, divinity, and humanity. The Melchites recognized that Jesus Christ existed in two forms, whereas the Coptic Orthodox rejected Christology language about the two natures of Jesus. However, the Coptic Orthodox and other orthodox oriental churches adopted a miaphysitism theological position admitting Cyril of Alexandria's statement.
The Coptic Orthodox Church Spirituality
The Coptic Orthodox Church spirituality is biblically-based, liturgically centered, ascetically oriented, and culminates in virtuous living and the life of prayer. Typically, the liturgical calendar unites the Coptic community around the world. The Coptic Orthodox Church's spirituality is multidimensional, especially on monasticism and liturgy. According to the Coptic Orthodox Church spirituality, Eucharistic liturgy is the focal point of Coptic spirituality as it feeds the faithful's spiritual life ( Brown, 2018) . During the liturgy preparation, the Copts are expected to reflect their spiritual progress as part of their spiritual lives. The monastic spirituality of the Coptic Orthodox Church springs and rejuvenates the spiritual activities of the Copts.
The Coptic Orthodox Church's spirituality stems from the early churches' traditions handed down from generation to generation. In the present-day practices, the traditions passed down are manifested. The Coptic Church spirituality is enhanced by liturgy and the liturgical calendar. Normally, the liturgical calendar sets the cycle of the Coptic life by fixing the dates for various church functions such as religious commemoration, fasts, and feasts. In the Coptic Orthodox Church spirituality, the priest acts as spiritual director for those who confess and enhance the church's monastic character.
The Coptic Orthodox Church's spirituality is oriented ascetically. Prayer is the center of Coptic spirituality and is most often accompanied by fasting. Daily, the laity observes the prayer of the hours, Horologion. Throughout the day, the Horologion payer guides the faithful through the psalm section, and accompanying prayers are said to contemplate on the trinity. Normally, the spiritual Copts start their day by anticipating the resurrection, the new beginning's life, and the newness of life. These varied practices energize the spiritual life of the faithful Copts. The memorization of the scripture and prayer life are rooted in the traditional Coptic spirituality.
The Coptic Orthodox Church Liturgy
In Christology, liturgy is the Christian celebration and resemblance of Christ's placatory detriment of His blood and body. Liturgy is normally referred to as the Eucharist service. To any Christian, the liturgy is the cornerstone of adoration. In the Coptic Orthodox Church, there are three liturgies commonly used. These liturgies are St. Gregory of Nazianzus liturgy, St. Basil liturgy, and the Liturgy as per Saint Cyril I. Saint Cyril I was the 24th paterfamilias of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Of the three liturgies, the liturgy conferring to Saint Basil is the most used throughout the year. The liturgy, according to Saint Gregory, is used during certain occasions and feasts. Currently, some parts of Saint Cyril I are used in the church.
The apostles collected the liturgies according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. After Jesus Christ resurrected, he appeared to these apostles before ascending. Saint Mark orally used the first liturgy in Alexandria, Egypt. The first liturgy used was later written by Saint Cyril I, the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church 24th Paterfamilias. The written Liturgy was named St. Cyril liturgy. This liturgy was used to derive St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzus liturgy.
Saint Mark was among the disciples of Jesus Christ. St. Mark accompanied Saint Paul and Saint Peter in sharing the apostolic work. At around 40 A.D., St. Mark went to Egypt and founded the first Coptic Church in Alexandria. Saint Mark used the liturgy as taught by Jesus Christ. The liturgy used by St. Mark is one of the most ancient liturgies according to the history of Christology. According to St. Mark's version, the liturgy exists in Ge'ez, the Ethiopian earliest linguistic that stopped to be used in the 14th century A.D.
The three liturgies utilized by the Coptic Orthodox Church follow the same subject matter and order taught by Jesus Christ. The Coptic Orthodox Church liturgies have some main sections common to any other liturgy used all over the Christian world. These main sections include the Prayer of Thanksgiving, Fraction Prayer, Communion Prayer, and Consecration Prayer.
As claimed by Saint Basil, the liturgy is the most usually utilized in the Coptic Orthodox Church. This liturgy was founded in the 4th century and heavily depicted the ancient liturgy, according to Saint Mark ( Mureșan, 2020 ). St. Basil liturgy addressed to God the Father as in the St. Cyril liturgy. The liturgy, according to Saint Gregory addressed to the Son. According to St. Basil liturgy, the present-day liturgy is slightly diverse from the inventive version in that some sections might have been added to it.
The Coptic Orthodox Church Disciplinary Tradition
The Coptic Orthodox Church has some disciplinary traditions to govern the popes, the bishops, the priests, and the Coptic believers. The canon law is among the traditions that constitute the disciplinary traditions of the church. This church law is an outgrowth of the holy canyons, and it involved the people vested with authority, such as the priests and the bishops. The church laws are used to contest the integrity of the people vested with authority.
The murder of Bishop Epiphanius led to the development of the new rules. Pope Tawadros II implemented the Coptic Orthodox Church's new rules to enhance and protect monasteries' discipline. The monk who confessed murdering the bishop was defrocked and expelled from the monastery. Among the new rules was no social media influence, and the monks admitted should delete their social media account. This role aimed at guarding monastic life, which is complete speculation from the world.
Current State of Coptic Orthodox Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church's current state across the world is different from what was like in the past five decades. As an integral part of the Coptic Church of Egypt, the smallest denomination has evolved from non-existence to more than 150 parishes, two monasteries, three seminaries, and multiple excellent educational and media organizations. Many things have been borrowed from Egypt's original Church, such as Coptic art, spirituality, architecture, music, literature, and many more. These treasures are still preserved and enhanced by the original believers and other second-generation, especially in community centers, churches, homes, and American universities. Additionally, people taught about the church through Coptic studies. The church has spread around to multiple nations outside Egypt, such as South America, Mexico, Canada, United States, Africa, Asia, and Europe, in countries like Britain, France, and Ireland. It is also found in Oceania and Australia.
Although the church does not keep a formal tally on the global presence, experts estimate more than 600,000 Copts in the U.S. with millions of believers in other English-speaking nations. The church is growing tremendously and has become a broadly recognized phenomenon. The Coptic Orthodox Church's encounters and coverts are mainly through friends, colleagues, or loving partners. Marriage is a mutual factor for change as couples have to be baptized first before they get married. Many converts are also drawn to the church because of the oldest and unique beliefs people in the current century can relate to.
What makes Coptic Orthodox Church different from other Orthodox denominations that are rigid to linguistic fidelities and social continuities, the denomination has no repelled acculturation. Coptic Orthodox Church praise and worship in English. It is a current state that has been accepted by Coptic Pope Shenouda III. Multiple Egyptian values have been kept, but others have started to fade away, such as standing during the entire service, kissing the priest's hand, and greeting. With these norms in place, many converts have joined the church in multiple numbers.
Massive immigration to other countries has made the Coptic Orthodox Church expand. Many Coptic churches across the nation than before have led to the development of a social split. Church front-runners have found themselves in a position between the requirement of longtime believers and those of recent converts. Many English-speaking denominations have shifted to Arabic liturgies and reinforced Egyptian norms. In the summer of 2002, Coptic Orthodox Church and other related churched mutually agree that baptism is performed in every church. Church leaders have made re-baptism unnecessary and recognize marriage's sacrament as recognized by other churches (Khalil, 2017). Before these amendments, Coptic Orthodox Church argues that for marriage to be identified, it should be performed in each church, i.e., itself and many Greek Orthodox, so that both denominations can accept it. Currently, it is only performed by a single church and recognized by both.
Compared to other churches, the Coptic Orthodox Church still believes that homosexuality is wrong. The denomination argues that homosexuality is again nature because the sexual act is only accepted within the marriage, and confinement is only between a man and a woman, male and female. For instance, in August 2003, the Coptic Orthodox Church made a formal announcement against homosexual acts and same-sex marriages. On a similar note, the church does not allow the ordination of gay priests.
Strengths of Coptic Orthodox Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church's main strength is that it is biblical and, at the same time, traditional. It was founded in the first century around 50 A.D. in Alexandria, Egypt, by Apostle Mark. Mark was the 1st pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church. It shares many values and norms with the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church. Because of its earliest foundations, it values society's standards and brings hope to Christians. Many people attend the church because of its conservativeness, driven by the oldest practices and music. They have not altered their way of doing things, such as beliefs, because the founding fathers guide them.
Additionally, the church believes that Coptic Priests should be well-educated and have practiced other professions before being ordained. Many protestant churches do not consider whether one is educated or not to become a pastor. For Coptic Orthodox Church, priests should demonstrate their talents and dedication in church services such as youth leadership, Sunday school teachers, preachers, or cantors. In the past decade, emerging groups of priests are born in the United States by immigrant parents. This new group of priests is meant to serve the second generation of believers. While many Coptic priests are highly enlightened in various disciplines such as theology and ministry within the church, many have received masters and a Ph.D. degree in religious studies before being ordained.
The strength of the Coptic Orthodox Church also lies in its iconography and architecture. Iconography is the sacred art of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Unlike other protestant churches or Islamic religion, believers of the church consider human art as the primary visual expression of the faith. Icons are an essential part of Orthodox liturgies and bridge the gap between heaven and earth's spiritual and material realms. It is also a vital didactic responsibility that teaches people about Orthodox faith via art and symbolism. On most occasions, the media tend to recognize Coptic architecture and paintings. For instance, they are multiple painted icons across Dallas and Houston (Guirguis et al., 2020). Artists paint murals in many Coptic churches and follow ancient Egypt guidelines, such as designing art.
The Weakness of the Coptic Orthodox Church
Living as the smallest minority in the secular democratic world comes with multiple challenges. Coptic Orthodox Church suffers from materialism, dispersion, persecution, and pressure from external societies, whereas Coptic believers are frequently attacked by Islamic extremists such as ISIS. The Romans first persecuted them in the early days.
Another unique weakness is the age-old tension facing immigrants. Keeping strong communal identities while dealing with challenges with assimilation into new societies has become hard for Coptic. The associated problem is learning how to handle multiple second and third wave generations within the church. In the process of assimilation, many norms and values have been lost (Brinkerhoff, 2016). The roots and rich heritage have been compromised.
There are also continuous controversies in Coptic Orthodox Church due to the required liturgical language. It has created tension within the church because some immigrants from Egypt want to maintain Arabian liturgy. At the same time, English-speaking countries are not familiar with the Arabic language. Native English speakers might find it hard to adopt the language. Linguistic issues and cultural variations have limited the church from expanding to other nations. The church sees it hard to engage youth and feed them with intellectual and spiritual nourishment.
Conclusion
The modern Coptic Orthodox Church, which has spread to many countries, owes its existence, renewal, and continuous nourishment to the ancient Mother Church in Egypt. It has provided immigrants and clergies with more than 2000 years of a rich and distinct form of Christianity and 7000 years of Egyptian worshiping techniques. The church has carried unique culture, norms, and practices as compared to other denominations. Currently, Coptic Orthodox Church is receiving waves of moral support, resources, energy, commitment, and enthusiasm from the government and other denominations that renew the church's core soul and the entire Coptic world.
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