On 18 – 19 July 2008, scholars and students from the United States and Canada gathered for the Tenth Annual UCLA – St Shenouda Conference of Coptic Studies. The stimulating two-day event included papers from twenty scholars and students as well as one dissertation proposal. The scope of the conference demonstrated the wealth of available opportunities for research within the field of Coptic Studies.
There were several new faces at this year’s conference—evidence that interest in Coptic Studies is on the rise. Dr S. Michael Saad eloquently summarised the enthusiasm that permeated the two-day event by saying, “We had glory here for two days.” It truly was a glorious event as attendees marked the tenth anniversary of the conference with a special cake.
After a welcome by Hany Takla, President of The St Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society (SSACS), the conference began with opening remarks from Dr Elizabeth Carter, Professor and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA. She greeted the conference attendees and read a speech prepared by Dr Jacco Dieleman, Assistant Professor of Egyptology at UCLA.
Then Ramses Wassif read a paper contributed by Dr Youhanna N. Youssef, Senior Research Associate at the Australian Catholic University’s Centre for Early Christian Study in Melbourne, Australia. This paper examined versions of the miracle of moving the Mukattam Mountain and the origin of the icon of Patriarch Abraham Ibn Zara’a, preserved in al-Muallaqah Church.
Martha Ayoub presented an educational programme called ++The Alpha and Omega++. This programme trains children between the ages of eleven and fourteen in the fundamental elements of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Courtney Morris, a student at California State University, Bakersfield, presented a paper on the comparison of Martin Buber’s “I-Thou” philosophy to the monasticism of the Desert Fathers. She argued that in spite of popular belief that the life of the monk was introverted and egocentric; the Desert Fathers exhibited a lifestyle that was deeply concerned with humankind and society as a whole.
Deanna Heikkinen, a graduate student at California State University, Bakersfield, talked about her research of textiles at Tell El-Hibeh, an archaeological dig 160 km south of Cairo, Egypt. She also presented photographs of Coptic mummies and discussed the various methods of preserving and wrapping the bodies prior to burial.
Acclaimed scholar Professor James M. Robinson, Claremont Graduate University, was presented with a lifetime achievement award and an icon created by famed artist Isaac Fanous. Then Professor Robinson shared with the audience the story of how he discovered the letters of St Pachomius and the earliest copies of the Gospels of Luke and John.
Dr Anne Moore, Senior Instructor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary in Canada, presented a paper on the depiction of Anna in the ++Protevangelium of James++. She compared Anna with the Biblical character Hannah and demonstrated how each woman dealt with issues of infertility and their relationship with God.
Dr Boulos Ayad Ayad, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, presented a paper on the architecture of religious structures in Egypt and Israel. His second paper discussed the plight of Christians in Nubia and Sudan after the Arab conquest
Carolyn Ludwig presented a captivating photo journal on the creation of the book ++The Churches of Egypt++. She talked about her inspiration to create the book and the difficulties her team encountered in accessing and photographing the churches.
Armida Byler, a graduate of California State University, Bakersfield, analysed the Pachomian monastic community in her paper utilising ritual theories popularised by Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner.
Patricia Eshagh, a PhD student at Claremont Graduate University, ended the first day of the conference by presenting her dissertation proposal entitled ++The Dispersion of Coptic Monasticism to Western Europe++. Attendees of the conference expressed their hope that Ms Eshagh would update them at next year’s conference with her research progress.
That evening, Hany Takla hosted a tour of the manuscript collection at the St Shenouda Centre for Coptic Studies.
After an engaging first day of papers, Day Two began with Idi Okilo, a graduate student at California State University, Los Angeles. She presented a paper on the career of Reverend Henry Tattam, who devoted his life to publishing the Coptic Bible and translating it into Latin and sometimes into English.
Dr Monica Bontty, Assistant Professor of Ancient History at the University of Louisiana, Monroe, presented a paper that challenged author Thomas Cahill’s claim that Irish monks were responsible for preserving literature for future generations. Dr Bontty argued that Coptic monks brought literary culture to Ireland and should receive that distinction.
Antonia Kovachev, a recent graduate of UCLA, discussed the effect of Communism on Coptic Studies in Eastern Europe. Ms Kovachev demonstrated the overall decline of and focus shift in research in Coptic Studies under Communism and its renewed interest after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Dr Sergei Plekhanov, Associate Professor of Political Science at York University in Toronto, Canada, presented a paper comparing the historical relationship between church and state in Egypt and Russia. Dr Plekhanov pointed out the impact that politics has had on churches throughout history.
Joseph Sanzo, a PhD student at UCLA, presented a paper on a sixth century amulet containing verses from the New Testament and the Lord’s Prayer. Mr Sanzo examined how the author of the amulet used the verses to preserve health and ward off evil.
Josiah Chappell, a PhD student at UCLA, provided an analysis of the Coptic book of Daniel. He traced the multiple dialects of Coptic in the book of Daniel and discussed the book’s many inconsistencies.
Mark Moussa, a PhD candidate at Catholic University of America, presented a paper regarding Abbot Shenoute of Atripe and his unusual authority over priests, a practice usually reserved for the bishop. Mr Moussa suggested that Shenoute might have been an ordained priest although the practice was uncommon.
Dr Maged S. A. Mikhail, Assistant Professor of History at California State University, Fullerton, presented a paper on the topic of spiritual marriage in Late Antiquity. He also addressed the rite of matrimony detailed in the Coptic ++Encomium on Demetrius of Alexandria++ and its inclusion in the Arabic ++History of the Patriarchs++.
Dr Mark N. Swanson, Professor of Christian-Muslim Studies and Interfaith Relations at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, presented a paper on the inconsistencies in the entries of the patriarchs from the Mamluk period in ++The History of the Patriarchs++. One patriarch in particular, Pope Gabriel, was completely overlooked in spite of the fact that he is regarded as a saint in the Ethiopian ++Synaxarium++.
The two-day conference concluded with a presentation by Dr S. Michael Saad on the progress of Coptic Studies in southern California. Dr Saad mentioned the important goal of establishing academic chairs in Coptic Studies in American universities. He pointed out that the visiting professorship at Claremont Graduate University’s School of Religion has resulted in new student interest in Coptic Studies and the commitment of students to write their Master theses and doctoral dissertations in this field. SSACS finances this visiting professorship as well as a part-time lecturer at UCLA. Dr Saad stressed the significance of this progress and resulting success by claiming: “This is our moment.”
Judging by the calibre of academic excellence displayed at the conference along with the increase in presentations and new attendees, it feels as though the glory days of Coptic Studies have arrived. Thanks to the efforts of the SSACS, UCLA, and scholars from around the globe, the future for Coptic Studies appears very bright indeed.
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Patricia Eshagh is a second year PhD student at Claremont Graduate University##s School of Religion. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation, which analyses the influence of Coptic monasticism on the early monastic communities of Western Europe.
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