The Copts and the West, 1439-1822
The European Discovery of the Egyptian Church
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:4th Dec '14
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- Hardback£210.00(9780199288779)
This book provides an in-depth examination of the interactions between Catholic missionaries and the Copts, revealing significant cultural exchanges.
In The Copts and the West, 1439-1822, the author delves into the complex relationship between Catholic missionaries and the Copts, the Egyptian members of the Church of Alexandria, during the seventeenth century. This comprehensive study reveals how these missionaries sought to persuade the Copts to unify with the Church of Rome. The text highlights the missionaries' struggles and the gradual accumulation of knowledge regarding Coptic beliefs, as both Catholics and Protestants endeavored to understand this ancient community's rich theological heritage.
Seventeenth-century Europe was rife with intrigue surrounding the Copts, who were believed to possess ancient wisdom and theological insights. Their language was seen as a potential key to unlocking the mysteries of hieroglyphs, and their church was thought to preserve early Christian practices alongside ancient Egyptian customs. Through meticulous research, The Copts and the West, 1439-1822 examines these beliefs and the efforts made by European scholars to study and engage with Coptic traditions.
The book concludes with an insightful survey of the study of the Coptic language in the West, detailing its significance for biblical scholars, antiquarians, theologians, and Egyptologists. This exploration not only sheds light on the Copts' historical context but also underscores the broader impact of cultural exchanges between the East and West during this period.
This is a book of great depth and importance that illuminates the manner in which ideas were appropriated and transmitted in early-modern Europe. * Bruce Gordon Heythrop Journal *
...this scholarly and very readable work fills an important gap in Coptic studies... * Abba Seraphim The British Orthodox Church *
...fascinating and wonderfully learned book... * Sebastian Brock, Times Literary Supplement *
For anyone with an interest in the history of scholarship and the course of cultural history in the period covered, Alistair Hamilton's new book will make for very enjoyable as well as illuminating reading. * Sebastian Brock,Times Literary Supplement *
The book furnishes a wealth of detail and analysis, as well as an excellent scholarly apparatus * John Williams, The Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East. *
a masterful and highly engaging history of the relationship between missions and scholarship in the early modern period. * Stephen J. Davis, International Bulletion of Missionary Research, July 2007 *
...should become a standard reference in the field * Stephen J. Davis, International Bulletion of Missionary Research, July 2007 *
another jewel in the crown of Professor Hamilton's impressive contribution to the history of the pre-modern European intellectual and cultural history...with regard to methodology and scholary merit, it is the book's interdisciplinary outlook that deserves special praise...To be sure a book like this can only be writtian by a scholar who not only combines a perpetual quest for knowledge and its sources with a tremendous previously acquired erudition...As long as Alastair Hamilton keeps carrying out this kind of research and continues to produce works of this calibre...a certain Republic of Letters can still blossom in our times and may even witness further expansion in the future. * Johannes den Heijer Church History and Religious Culture *
For anyone interested in the earlier Coptic diaspora that Hamilton studies...this is a fascinating book. * Tim Vivian, Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies, Vol. 48 (1-2) *
...this scholarly and very readable work fills an important gap in Coptic studies and draws together a number of historic strands which are only alluded to briefly in other works. * The Glastonbury Review, Issue 115 *
ISBN: 9780198727538
Dimensions: 216mm x 139mm x 21mm
Weight: 444g
356 pages