SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

Moussa, M. R. (USA). The Treatise "I Have Been Reading the Holy Gospels" by Abba Shenoute of Atripe. The presenter gave an overview of his research on this most important work of St. Shenouda the Archimandrite. This work will be the subject of an upcoming doctral dissertation of Mr. Moussa, scheduled for the middle of this year at the Catholic University of America, Washington DC. He highlighted the significance of this treatise to the development of ascetic thought in 5th century Upper Egypt and the central role that St. Shenouda played therein. Remarks about the history of its writing, the concept of patriarchal authority, and views about social and monastic subjects were presented. According to Prof. Emmel 1993 doctral work, this treatise belongs to the eighth and final volume of the Discourses . The presenter's doctral dissertation will include a publication of all the remaining fragments of this work, a complete English translation of the reconstructed text from the extant manuscripts, and a commentary on the work. Schroeder, C. T. (USA). The Church at Shenoute's Monastery: A Metaphore for Ascetic Discipline. This intriguing presentation is also part of the doctoral work of the presenter at Duke University, North Carolina. She attempted to relate the extensive archaeological remains of this monumental monastic church with St. Shenouda's sermons celebrating the construction and use of the church. She went on to elaborate on his conception of this building to be a symbol of the souls of the monks who worship in it. Being an earthly house of God and a testimony to the purity of the monks' bodies and souls, the sins and abominations of the monks can lead to its abandoment and even allows its destruction. This presentation further enhance the value of the writings of St. Shenouda to modern Christians in general and the Copts in particular. Sellew, P. (USA). A Coptic Blessing for Reading the Apocalypse in the Paschal Liturgy . This paper dealt with a particular and extensive text of a blessing, found in Copto-Arabic manuscripts of the Book of the Apocalypse. This book is read in the Coptic Church only on one occasion, the midnight

of the mothers' names were written out and some encrypted. It is encouraging to see that careful documentation is being used in the removal of these layers. The collaboration of the Dutch scholars from Leiden and the monks of the monastery have made this wonderful work possible. Fr. Maximous el-Antony (Egypt). Restoration Work at the Wall Paintings in St. Antony. The presenter was the Laison monk between the Italian group that performed the restoration, the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) who coordinated the funds, and the monastery. The resulting near-magical work by the Italian group, as introduced there, significantly changed the history of religious icongraphy of the Middle Ages. What was found was many 13-14th century wall paintings that were rarely seen in Egypt in quality and subject matter. Art historians would be busy for a long time working on these frescos and documenting their impact on religious art in the East. Copts in the Los Angeles area were fortunate to see some these images on two occasions. The first by Rev. Dr. Tim Vivian in 1998 during the first Coptic Conference in Long Beach, and the second by Dr. Terry Waltz of ARCE in 1999 at one of our Coptic Churches. Mikhail, M. S. A. (USA). A Historical Definition for the "Coptic Period". The presenter in the course of his work on his doctral dissertation at UCLA, attemped to provide a technical definition for the time period that can be historically termed 'Coptic Period'. In the past some made it as short as the period between Chalcedon (AD 451) and the Arab Conquest of Egypt (AD 641). Among many of the lay and ecclesiastical Copts the period would begin with St. Mark arrival in Alexandria (AD 55) to the present time. The presenter, using literary and documentary sources to be some where in between, specifically from the 4th to the 10th century. This generated much controversy among many of the Copts in attendance for a variety of reasons which were mostly cultural and ecclesiastical in nature!

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

-5-