Coptica v. 16 2017

The Story of Fakhr al-Dawlah ibn al-Muʾtaman: Priest’s Son, Muslim Grandee, Monk of St. Antony

The article presents the story of Fakhr al-Dawlah ibn al-Muʾtaman, a Mamlūk-era Copt who converted to Islam but then repented of it and eventually became a monk of the Monastery of St. Antony. Two Copto- Arabic hagiographical texts from the period— The Life and Miracles of Anbā Ruways and The Life and Miracles of Marqus al-Anṭūnī —tell Fakhr al- Dawlah’s story in a beautifully complementary manner. In addition, The Life of Matthew I (the 87 th patriarch, 1378-1408) may add another episode to the story. Taking our sources together, we are able to make some comments on realities experienced by the Coptic community in the late 14 th century, as well as how these realities are portrayed (and explained) in the rich hagiography of the period

Prof. Mark N. Swanson Harold S. Vogelaar Professor of Christian-Muslim Studies and Interfaith Relations

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 1100 East 55th St. Chicago, Illinois 60615 mswanson@lstc.edu

Portraying the Religious Other in the Age of Pope Matthew I (the 87 th patriarch, 1378-1408)

The article surveys a number of Copto-Arabic hagiographical texts from the end of the 14 th and beginning of the 15 th centuries of the Common Era, as well as a theological encyclopedia of the period, in order to see how they present the Muslim “Other.” The result is a complex variety of characters and portrayals, which I have presented under the headings: the good ruler, the merciless emir, the seductress, the penitent convert, the permanent convert, and the scholar. In this literature we do not normally see the un- nuanced contrasts between Christians and Muslims that appear in some texts of the “hidden transcript” variety. Rather, there is a pragmatic sense in this literature, a concern for the sort of relationships that could be helpful to the Christian community at a perilous time. This article overlaps with, but is mostly complementary to, the author’s other article in this volume: “The Story of Fakhr al-Dīn ibn al-Muʾtaman.” Together, the two articles serve as a kind of summary of a project of research.

Prof. Mark N. Swanson Harold S. Vogelaar Professor of Christian-Muslim Studies and Interfaith Relations

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 1100 East 55th St. Chicago, Illinois 60615 mswanson@lstc.edu