THE COPTIC CULTURE

FR. TADROS Y. MALATY

 

 

 

 

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The Pharaohs are known for their exceeding religious
attitudes, and their longing for the life to come, although
they did not know the reality of this life. At the same time,
they were interested in science, and they did many scientific
marvels which the modern science could not unfold their
mysteries till now. Thus, the Egyptians believed in the
religious life and in the development and progress in all
aspects of knowledge and science. This belief had its effect
on  the  Christian  School  of  Alexandria,  which  was
encyclopedic in its teachings, and presented the whole series
of profound sciences beside studying the Holy Scriptures.

The Copts accepted the Christian faith that sanctifies
all that is human and develops it, therefore they were genius
in  music,  iconology,  architecture,  textiles,  literature,
astronomy etc., and their culture and arts had their effect all
over the world. This subject needs to be more elaborated in
another book.

Already, I have written in more details about the Coptic
architecture and icons in my book "Church, the House of
God".

 

ART AND WORSHIP1

Worship  in  its  essence  is  the  expression  of  man's response to God's infinite love. Man feels that mere words are unable to express this response, therefore he uses his gifted arts in worship.

 

 

 

 

 

Art has been correlated with religion from the beginning
of history, so that there had been a strong belief that arts
such as, painting engraving, music, singing, dancing etc.,
have come into existence as a result of  religious beliefs.

In Early Christian times, Copts were involved in the
religious life, so that many thousands preferred to live in the
wilderness  longing  for  the  angelic  life.  To  those  who
remained in the cities and countries, the Christian faith
penetrated into their daily life, even in their eating, drinking,
literature and arts. There is evidence that Christian symbols
and images were inscribed on their rings, painted on their
walls, doors, cups, plates, chairs etc. As an example, at the
Coptic Museum in Cairo, there is a Coptic ivory comb from
the fifth century. On one side, Lazarus appears in the shape
of an Egyptian mummy, while Christ bearing a cross instead
of a wand, appears on the other side. Beside it, there is
another representation, of the "healing of the blind man".
Also on the other side of the comb, there is a mounted
Coptic Saint enclosed irrationally within a wreath, supported
by angels.

 

SANCTIFYING ARTS

It is man's desire to offer his life and devote all his
culture to express his deep and unspeakable love to God. At
the same time, it is God's beneficence that He longs to
sanctify man's being, life and culture as a sign of God's high
sight to man and his life. God loves man as a whole, He
accepts his soul as His dwelling place and does not despise
his body and human culture, for these both can be sanctified
by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  act  spiritually  as  instruments  of
righteousness, for the edification of God's Church on behalf
of the heavenly kingdom.