THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH: THE BALANCE OF ITS CONTINUATION OF ITS 1ST CENTURY ROOTS AND ITS ADAPTATION TO MODERNITY

This thesis analyzes the survival of the Coptic Orthodox Church and argues that the Church has effectively adapted to modernity. This survival and adaptation of this 1st century Church is argued for in the transformation and adaptation of language, the role of women, the practices of Coptic monasticism, and the creation of a new modern phenomena, the Coptic diasporic community, mainly though the example of the United States. The analyses presented are drawn from both primary and secondary sources that effectively ague for both the survival and adaptation of the Coptic Church. Finally, this thesis thus provides an institutional history of the Coptic Church while offering insights into its tradition, cultural practices, social structures, and transformations over time.