| Contents |
Introduction. Living out the faith : daily concerns and challenges. Clement of Alexandria's "new" social order : sex, food, and dress / Lois M. Farag -- An Egyptian family and a woman's freedom : a case study from late antiquity / Alanna Nobbs, A.D. MacDonald -- Perspectives on poverty and power. The poor, poverty, and materialism in the Instruction of Amenemope, The Book of Proverbs, and Coptic monastic texts : a socio-historical reading / Ash Melika -- Daily life in Egypt as reflected in the writings of Shenoute of Atripe / Samuel Moawad -- The widow's plea in Coptic personal letters / Mariam F. Ayad -- Protecting the socially vulnerable : the case study of two bishops and a hermit in the Theban region in the late sixth and early seventh centuries / Renate Dekker -- On identity, persecution, and resilience. Documents illustrating the Diocletianic persecution of Christians / Alanna Nobbs -- Christian identity in the archaeological record : evidence from Egypt's Western Desert / Nicola Aravecchia -- Laws of sartorial differentiation (ghiyar) in pre-Mamluk Egypt / Christina Thérèse (Tineke) Rooijakkers -- Life of Severus of Antioch as an advocate of orthodoxy / Youhanna Nessim Youssef -- Icons as social statements : the Victor Asaad Fakhoury icon series 2011-2017 / Helene Moussa -- A living heritage : at home and abroad. Marguerite Nakhla (1908-1977) : painter of the mosaic of daily life / Helene Moussa -- Coptic Orthodox feminism : popular song and gender reformation in the diaspora / Caroline Ramzy -- Exploration of power distance in the early Church and the modern Coptic diaspora / Ihab Khalil. |
| Abstract |
"This volume brings together leading experts from a range of disciplines to examine aspects of the daily lived experiences of Egypt's Coptic Christian minority from late Antiquity to the present. In doing so, it serves as a supplement and a corrective to institutional or theological narratives, which are generally rooted in studying the wielders of historical power and control. Studies in Coptic Culture and Community reveals the humanity of the Coptic tradition, giving granular depth to how Copts have lived their lives through and because of their faith for two thousand years. The first three sections consider in turn the breadth of the daily life approach, perspectives on poverty and power in a variety of different contexts, and matters of identity and persecution. The final section reflects on the global Coptic diaspora, bringing themes studied for the early Coptic Church into dialog with Coptic experiences today. These broad categories help to link fundamental questions of socio-religious history with unique aspects of Coptic culture and its vibrant communities of individuals."-- Provided by publisher. |
