13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must for All Church Scholars, June 19, 2005
This review is from: Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity (Paperback)
As the other reviewers said, this is absolutely a foundational compendium, worth much for its charts and appendices, alone, and for the fact that it's rather up to date (originally published in '99 and updated in '02).
A word of warning -- the binding is very poorly done on this trade paperback and every page falls out as you turn it, so the book will have to be rebound, probably spiral, for the repeated reference use that it will get.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Catalog of facts about Coptic churches around the world, September 9, 2007
This review is from: Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity (Paperback)
This book is very good if you're looking for a collection of information about particular churches, where they are, who leads them and what goes on at each locale. It is not so much a story as a compilation of details; it's been called an encyclopedia, and I agree with that assessment. So, I think it would appeal more to someone looking for a reference guide than a biographical account. There are other books by this author which fit that description. This may not be the first book by Meniardus I'd put on my shelf, but it's still worth reading.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
2KY of Coptic folklore, wisdom, and faith, July 20, 2002
The Book: A celestial encyclopedia
This wonderful encyclopedia of Coptic varieties was Dr. meinardus present to the Church he loved, on the eve of the third millennium, celebrating the survival of Orthodoxy of Alexandria, and piety of the Copts for two millennia, of which fifteen centuries it suffered peresecution from the Romans, Byzantines, and Moslems.
Integrating information from some of his numerous books on the Copts, their monks, monastries and life, together with numerous of his recent studies.I cannot limit this book to Dr. Watson's definition "A one volume encyclopedia", since it is celestial fun to read, with lots of Baal Shem style stories, some of which are written in the memory of Christian religious thought.
Stories of the Desert Fathers of Shehit,
Shihet (Scetis) lies south of Nitria and SE Cellia where these monasteries and those who dwelt in them; St. Macarius, and the company of the desert fathers. Their legendary wisdom and mere Christianity are amazing. Rev.Dr.Meinardus tells his version of the charming Coptic folklore, wisdom, and myth. His selection of the cover Icon of the Three Saint Macari, and back cover of St. Anthony Monastery reveals to the expert eyes how Coptic to the bones he became, after 40 years of living, studying, and writing about the Copts. I rated this fine work at a mere 4.5 only, since the photos are not colored, though it may be the intention of the publisher to reflect how colorless became "Today's Coptic Christianity"
Summary of Contents:
The Coptic Church: Its history, Tradition, Theology, Structure
Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt, St. Mark The Evangelist, Theology of Alexandria, Canons of the Coptic Church, History of Coptic theology, The ancient Copts, 20 Th. century renaissance, Folk Religion of the Copts, Coptic Diaspora.Coptic Churches and monasteries, ancient & Modern
early Christianity in Alexandria, the Lourdes in the desert: St. Menas, Cellia, Netria, Christianity in the Nile delta, churches of Old Cairo, Churches and monasteries of upper Egypt, Churches and monasteries of Arsenoi, Western & Eastern deserts
Appendices: Tattoos and Names, Coptic Patriarchs, Language, Architecture and Calendar, Relics of Coptic Saints, Bibliography
The author: Illustrative Coptologis Otto Meinardus
The Rev. Dr. Meinardus is a multitalented Anglican Church historian, theologian, he is a member of the German Archaeological society. Touring the Miditerrenian, the cradle of Christianity, fell in Knowing love with one of the most ancient Churches, the Church of Martyrs (as Copts use to call themselves) He taught at the Institute of Coptic studies, Cairo and the American U. in Cairo (AUC) that has the right to his books as of the Nobel Prize Laureate N. Mahfouz.
'A shrewd observer of the modern Coptic scene and prefers not to commit himself !? There are some carefully guarded comments which must be calculated to tickle our ribs and our minds" John Watson
Glorious synopsis of a life's study:
"This fine new compendium of Coptic history and life, from the greatly admired scholar Professor Otto Meinardus, will immediately take its place as the one essential Coptic Orthodox desktop reference book in English, whether for a scholar or for the general reader. . ., and without this volume most of the material would otherwise not be available to the English Language Coptologist.
Dr. J. Watson; "Coptic Church Rev., Summer 2000"
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