Coptica 15, 2016

Letter by Anba Yūsāb, Bishop of Jirjā and Akhmīm 11 The Eucharist shapes the content of Yūsāb’s next argument, which is guided by Cyril’s Eleventh Anathema. 44F 45 Yūsāb poses the following question to the papal delegate Bartholomew: When the gospel says, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51 RSV), to which nature after the Incarnation do you attribute the life-giving bread descending from heaven? 45F 46 You cannot say that it is the human nature and human flesh. “For this reason we do not say that Christ after the union is two natures, or two hypostases, or two energia (operations) but one nature, one energia ﻓﻌﻞ( fi c l ) from the one Christ”. 46F 47 Yūsāb concludes the paragraph with another statement of faith: “We believe he is one Christ, one hypostasis, and one energia .” 47F 48 Yūsāb’s final topic is the validity of the claim that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son. This is the final and shortest argument. Most probably it is mentioned to cover all the bases of debated issues between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Another reason for the terseness of the discussion might be because the filioque is clearly in direct violation of conciliar canons and does not require much debate. In addition, the problem is shared with other Orthodox Churches and does not uniquely define the Coptic Church’s difference with Rome. VI. Final Observations Anba Yūsāb wrote a rhetorically well-crafted letter. He follows the erotapokrisis style and the Aristotelian method of investigation. 48F 49 He starts with a list of questions that outline the issues of investigation and define the subject matter. He systematically considers the difficulties involved by methodically investigating the key problematic terms that caused the a conjunction of real union, be he anathema. Anathema IV: If anyone assigns to two persons or hypostases the words of the evangelic or apostolic writings, which are spoken either of Christ by the saints of Himself by Himself, and applies some to a man considered apart from the Word who is from God, and others, as God-befitting, solely to the Word from God the Father, be he anathema”. Bindley, Oecumenical Documents , p. 218. It is worth noting that Yūsāb translated the anathemas accurately. 45 “Anathema XI: If anyone does not confess the flesh of our Lord to be life-giving and the own flesh of the Word Himself who is from God, but (regards it) as the flesh of some other than Himself conjoined to Him in dignity, or having a mere divine indwelling, and not rather life-giving, as we affirm, because it became the own flesh of the Word who hath strength to quicken all things, be he anathema.” Bindley, Oecumenical Documents , p. 219.

46 Ms. Theol. 5 , 178r. 47 Ms. Theol. 5 , 178r. 48 Ms. Theol. 5 , 178v.

49 I am considering the broad outlines of Aristotle’s method of investigation, which includes defining the subject matter, considering issues and different views on the subject matter and, finally, presenting the writer’s argument and solution.