"A Saint Mark Foundation book."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-338).

History. Coptic historiography / Samuel Moawad -- Coptic church history / Youhanna Nessim Youssef -- Monasticism / Mark Sheridan -- Theology, liturgy, and music. Alexandrian theology from Athanasius the Great to Timothy II : a historical survey of Coptic Orthodox theology / Lois M. Farag -- Liturgy in the Coptic church / Youhanna Nessim Youssef -- Coptic music culture : tradition, structure, and variation / Magdalena Kuhn -- Language and literature. The Coptic language / Ewa D. Zakrzewska -- Gnosticism and Manichaeism in Egypt / Marvin Meyer -- The Coptic Bible / Hany N. Takla -- Coptic literature / Youhanna Nessim Youssef -- Daily life : documentary evidence / Tonio Sebastian Richter -- Magic in late antique and early medieval Egypt / Jacques van der Vliet -- Copto-Arabic literature / Mark N. Swanson -- Art, archaeology, and material culture. The discovery of Christian Egypt : from manuscript hunters toward an archaeology of late antique Egypt / Elisabeth R. O'Connell -- Christian architecture in Egypt / Peter Grossmann -- Decoration of Coptic churches / Gertrud J.M. van Loon -- Objects of daily life / Dominique Bénazeth -- Egypt's post-Pharaonic textiles / Cäcilia Fluck and Fisela Helmecke -- Renaissance of the Coptic church. The Coptic church today / Nelly van Doorn-Harder -- Contemporary Coptic art / Monica René -- Coptic civilization in the diaspora / Saad Michael Saad.

Egypt's Copts make up one of the oldest and largest Christian communities in the Middle East. Yet despite the availability of a large number of books on aspects of Coptic culture, including art and architecture, monasticism, theology, and music, there is to date no single volume that provides a comprehensive cultural history of the Copts and their achievements. 'Coptic Civilization' aims to fill this gap, by introducing the general reader, the interested non-specialist, to Coptic culture in all its variety and multi-faceted richness. With contributions by twenty scholars, 'Coptic Civilization' includes chapters on monasticism, the Coptic language, Coptic literature, Christian Arabic literature, the objects and documents of daily life, magic, art and architecture, and textiles, as well as the history of Coptic Church, its liturgy, theology, and music.