Abstract
The Coptic Church is generally called the Church of Martyrs. Martyrdom has played a major role in Coptic Spirituality for almost two thousand years. My research is based on Christian primary sources such as early Christian writings or lives of saints and secondary sources from Coptic ecclesiastical milieu which reflect the notion of Martyrdom and so that way helps new generations of Copts to understand this phenomenon in their spiritual life. The cult of martyrs is ubiquitous in the Coptic Orthodox Church, especially in a calendar of martyrs which accompanies believers during the whole liturgical year. Egyptian Christians martyrdom has been representing one of the most significant virtues since the first centuries of Church history. Copts believe that the first martyr who laid down own life for faith in Jesus Christ was an Egyptian called Eudaemon. According to local tradition, he already received the crown of martyrdom during the stay of the Holy Family in Egypt. The beginnings of Christianization in Egypt are interwoven with martyrdom. For Copts the era of martyrs did not end in 313 but it goes on until present days. The crown of martyrdom symbolizes the greatest reward not only for the sole Christian but for the whole community. Martyrs as saints become mediators between seen and unseen world and they intercede with God for Christians and help them to fulfill their pleas. The paper deals with the importance of this phenomenon for Coptic identity in the present day.
Presenters
Miloš DavidStudent, PhDr. ThDr. Mgr./PhD student, Institute of Eastern Christianity, Hussite Theological Faculty, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Community and Socialization
KEYWORDS
Martyrdom; Coptic Christianity; Hagiography; Spiritual life; Egypt; Cult of saints
