Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Cosmos The In Lost

Home
Catholic
What is the History of the Coptic Christian Victims of the Egyptian Terrorist Bombings?

What is the History of the Coptic Christian Victims of the Egyptian Terrorist Bombings?

Last updated on: April 9, 2017 at 2:47 pm by Artur Rosman

What is the History of the Coptic Christian Victims of the Egyptian Terrorist Bombings? 2017-04-09T14:47:52-07:00 Artur Rosman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Arabic Jesus, Status of Jesus in Coptic Cairo, 5 April 2008; Source: Flickr, Author: Tinou Bao, CC BY 2.0).

(Arabic Jesus, Status of Jesus in Coptic Cairo, 5 April 2008; Source: Flickr, Author: Tinou Bao, CC BY 2.0).

The rich diversity of rites has always been a hallmark of Christianity since long before Constantine. Constantine is frequently accused of homogenizing Christianity, but a book I translated, Socrates and Other Saints, proves the opposite is true. Constantine’s approach to Christianity helped to secure the rich diversity of his adopted religion.

Constantine’s influence upon Christianity is also not as monolithic as we are frequently told. After all, there were plenty of other Christianities before Constantine. They still survive.

The Egyptian Copts are one of these groups. We frequently hear about Coptic Christians only around Easter time when Islamist extremists frequently bomb their churches. This is unfortunately the case again this year.

The New York Times reports:

Suicide bombers attacked two Coptic churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday, killing at least 40 worshipers and police officers stationed outside, in the deadliest day of violence against Christians in the country in decades.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for both attacks in a statement via its Aamaq news agency, having recently signaled its intention to escalate a campaign of violence against Egyptian Christians.

The first explosion occurred about 9:30 at St. George’s Church in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, 50 miles north of Cairo, during a Palm Sunday Mass. Security officials and a witness said that a suicide bomber had barged past security measures and detonated his explosives in the front pews, near the altar.

At least 27 people were killed and 71 others injured, officials said.

Hours later, a second explosion occurred at the gates of St. Mark’s Cathedral in the coastal city of Alexandria. That blast killed 13 people and wounded 21 others, the Health Ministry said.

But who are the Coptic Christians exactly? There is obviously much more to them than being periodic blips on Western media’s radar.

Whenever you have a question about the more obscure religions of the Middle East, then there is no surer guide than the first-hand accounts of Gerard Russell in Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys Into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East. This is his eloquent answer to the question we’ve posed: . . .

Previous Post

April 7, 2017

Syrian Catholic Bishops Unequivocally Condemn American Bombing of Syria

Next Post

April 14, 2017 It's a Good Friday to Leave Calypso's Island

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #WhyRemainCatholic Abortion Advent Anti-Catholicism Arts Atheism Beauty Benedict XVI Bible Book Review Catholic Cinema Comedy Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey Czesław Miłosz Dariusz Karłowicz Devil Easter Eastern Orthodoxy Economics Environment Family Famous Atheists Who Weren't Atheists Guest Post Hans Urs von Balthasar HHS Mandate History Imagination Interview Islam Jean-Luc Marion John Paul II Judaism Just War Lent Literature Little Sisters of the Poor Liturgy Martyrdom Music News Paganism Patristics Phenomenology Philosophy Pierre Hadot Poetry Poland Pop Culture Pope Francis Poverty Prayer Protestantism Rabelais Race Remi Brague Rene Girard Russia Sam Rocha Science & Religion SCOTUS Secularization Sexual Abuse Sexuality Silence Solidarity Stratford Caldecott Synod14 Terrorism Top 10 Uncategorized Walker Percy War Weakened Edition World War II World Youth Day WYD Krakow

Select a Month July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the biblical view of work?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Avoid work Work hard as for the Lord Only kings should work Work is a curse