Christianity comes from Judaism. Its main belief is that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised messiah from the Hebrew Scriptures. Christians believe that his life, death, and resurrection will bring salvation to the world. Christianity is one of the three monotheistic Abrahamic faiths. The other two are Islam and Judaism. It traces its spiritual roots to Abraham from the Hebrew Scriptures. Its sacred Basic Groupings are:
- Catholicism (Roman Catholicism). This is the oldest established western Christian church and the world’s largest single religious body. It is a supranational organization. It has a hierarchical structure with the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as its head. The Pope is located at the Vatican.
- Mormonism (including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).
- Jehovah’s Witnesses base their beliefs on the Christian Bible. However, they do not accept the Trinity, which sets them apart from mainstream Christianity.
- Protestant Christianity which originated in the 16th century as an attempt to reform Roman Catholicism’s practices, dogma, and theology.
Many people think of the land of Israel, and Palestine when you talk about New Testament, the places where Jesus was born and preached. Egypt, however, also provides a key location in his story, a safe haven for the holy family. In the Gospel of Matthew, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus flee from Jerusalem and King Herod, who wanted to kill the child. The family stayed in Egypt until the danger had passed.
Related tour: Egypt Coptic Christian Legacy: A 10-Day Holy Family Tour
History of Coptic Christianity in Egypt:
Christianity is the second-largest religion in Egypt. The vast majority of Egyptian Christians are Copts. The word (Copt) is indirectly derived from the Greek (Aegyptus) meaning simply ‘Egypt’. Egyptian Christians believe that Mark the Evangelist founded the Patriarchate of Alexandria around 33 AD. They think that Christianity came to Egypt because of the Apostle Mark.
Before Christianity became a state religion under Constantine, the Egyptian Christian community suffered heavy persecution. An important part of the Roman state religion was the cult of the Emperor. For Jews and Christians, who both believed in one god, this practice presented a problem. However, the Jews received a special exemption: they did not need to join the ruler cult, for religious reasons.
The Christians were first seen as Jews, but when they became a separate religious group, they did not receive the same status. In the third century AD, the persecution of Christians became very intense. This was especially true under Septimius Severus in 201 AD. In the reign of Decius in 249 AD there was the first persecution across the whole empire.
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Coptic Persecution:
Under Gallienus (253 – 268 AD) the persecutions were reserved by an edict, by which the Christians received their freedom. However, under Diocletian (248 – 305 AD) there was again heavy persecution. The Coptic Church measures its years not from Christ’s birth but from the “Era of Martyrs.” This era begins with the first year of the reign of the emperor Diocletian, who persecuted Christians. The oppression finally ended on April 30, 311. An edict was released that allowed Christianity as a permitted religion.
During the 4th century, paganism was pushed down and lost many followers. The poet Palladius noted this sadly. Graffiti at Philae proves worship of Isis persisted at its temples into the 5th century. Alexandria became the center of the first great Schism in the Christian world. The Arians were named after the priest Arius from Alexandria. Their opponents were led by Athanasius. Athanasius became the Archbishop of Alexandria in 326 AD. This was after the first council of Nicaea rejected Arius’s views.
The Arian controversy caused years of riots and rebellion throughout most of the 4th century. In the course of one of these, the great Temple of Serapis, the stronghold of paganism was destroyed. Athanasius was alternately expelled from Alexandria and reinstated as its Archbishop between five and seven times. Another religious development in Egypt was the monasticism of the Desert Fathers. Monasticism renounced the material world in order to live a life of poverty in devotion to the church.
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Christianity in Egypt during the Islamic era:
Under Byzantine rule, the Monophysite strand of Christianity was also subject to persecution. As the imperial authorities struggled to impose orthodoxy from Constantinople. The split between Monophysite and orthodox Christianity played a big role in the defeat of Byzantine forces. This happened in Egypt and Syria during the Arab conquest in 642 AD.
During most of the Islamic period, Christians formed the backbone of the country’s administration. Many, along with people of the other faiths such as Jews, rose to ministerial positions. Like all non-Muslims, they paid a special poll tax. At times, and despite clear Islamic teachings on tolerance, they faced some restrictions. This often happened due to complaints about their influence.
Their conversion to Islam was a long process. The European crusades, instigated by Pope Urban II in 1095, must have had a particularly negative impact. Local Christian population probably sided most often with their Muslim compatriots, while some Muslims sided with the Frankish invaders. The crusaders may be one main reason why more Egyptian Christians converted to Islam.
Despite sporadic times of discord, as in the reign of the eccentric but brilliant Fatimid ruler Al-Hakim. The story of the Copts in Egypt shows a more tolerant country. This is true when we compare it to the fate of religious minorities in medieval and later Europe.
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Christianity in modern Egypt
The Copts have remained an influential group in Egypt into the modern era. Under the British colony, two Copts held the post of prime minister. Copts continued to hold large land estates and own wealthy businesses. The community lost prestige, after the 1952 revolution. Various reforms under Gamal Abdel Nasser’s government mainly affected upper and middle-class Copts and Muslims. This led to a wave of emigration.
The Nasser era also saw a strengthening of the influence of the Coptic Pope. Coinciding with the strengthening of the Patriarchy was the election of Pope Shenouda III in 1971. After Shenouda died in 2012, his successor, Pope Tawadros II, promised to be less political than before. He started several policies that aimed to reduce the church’s social role in the lives of the Copts.
Christians in Egypt account for 10% of the population. 96% of the Christians are Coptic Orthodox, while 3% are Coptic Catholic. Protestant churches claim a membership of about 300,000 Egyptians. There are many Coptic Churches to visit during your tour in Egypt. Some of these are the Hanging Church, Abu Serga Church, and St. Simeon the Tanner Monastery.
Non-native Christian communities mostly live in urban areas of Alexandria and Cairo. They are part of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Ecclesia Melchitarum Graecorum Catholicorum, Ecclesia Armenorum Catholicorum, Ecclesia Chaldaeorum Catholicorum, Ecclesia Syriacorum Catholicorum, vel Ecclesia Syriaca Orthodoxa.
Christians in Egypt celebrate many of their festivals, but national holidays are:
The Coptic Christmas is on the 7th of January.
The Coptic Easter in April.
The Sham El Naseem (Spring Festival), Monday after Easter.
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