subject: Introduction to the Copts [print this page] Introduction to the Copts Introduction to the Copts
Who are the Copts? Coptic Christians form the largest minority Christian group in Egypt, with some 13,000,000 to 18,000,000 members in a total population of over 80,000,000. There are up to a further 1,500,000 living outside Egypt, mainly in the USA.
The numbers continue to increase, however the proportion living in Egypt is probably declining due to a lower birthrate and a higher emigration rate than for Egyptian Muslims. Although the word 'Copt' simply means 'Egyptian', in contemporary usage it refers solely to the Christian population. This shift came about as a result of the Islamic invasion of Egypt in 639 AD when the population came under severe pressure to convert to Islam. Many Copts claim direct descent from the ancient Egyptians because they resisted intermarriage with the Arabs.
The Coptic Church is a very ancient form of Christianity which claims an apostolic foundation. The ancient tradition has it that Saint Mark introduced the faith in Alexandria, very soon after the Lord's ascension, during the reign of the Emperor Claudius around 42 AD.. From Alexandria the faith spread rapidly throughout Egypt. By the beginning of the 3rd century Christianity was the majority faith of Egypt. Alexandria indeed was recognized as one of the four Apostolic Sees, second only to Rome.
Prominent very early Fathers of the Church such as Athenogoras, Clement, Didymus, and Origen taught there. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD resulted in the separation of Coptic Christians from the mainstream of Christianity. The Council gave thought to the Incarnation and nature of Christ and reached the decision that Christ was 'one hypostasis in two natures (one person sharing two distinct natures). That is the orthodox Christian belief. However the Coptic position differed in that they pressed for an understanding of Christ as 'one nature from two natures': the Logos incarnate. That is, he is from, not of, two natures (full divinity and full humanity). Bodies which deny the two natures of Christ are called 'monophysite'. Coptic Christians claim that they should rather be called 'miaphysite'' (one composite/conjoined nature from two). It has been suggested that the real reason for the exclusion of Alexandria was political due to the rivalry with Rome.
One major contribution of Coptic Christianity to the Church Catholic was its providing the foundation for monasticism. The beginning came through the Desert Fathers who from the 3rd century went into the desert to pray and dedicate their lives to seclusion and the worship of God. By the end of the 5th century there were hundreds of monasteries, many of them active still today. The Benedictine Order was founded on the model of Saint Pachomius.
