Coptic Church History II: Arab Invasion (CH8200A)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

In this unit students will study the history of the Christian Church in Egypt in the period before and after the Arab Conquest. Through a study of the various primary sources, we shall consider the impact of the Arab Conquest on the Coptic Church and the social, political and cultural impact it had on Egypt.

Unit code: CH8200A

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Church History

Proposing College: St Athanasius College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Critically compare and contrast the portrayal of the Arab Conquest from various primary sources, including chronologies, literary, documentary and hagiographical texts.
2.

Identify and describe the political, social, and cultural impact of the Arab Conquest on Egypt and on the Coptic Church
3.

Appraise the circumstances and historical context leading to the Arab Conquest of Egypt

4.

Demonstrate an understanding of the legacy and impact of the Arab Conquest of Egypt from a social, political and cultural perspective.

5.

Develop a critical framework for reading and interpreting historical events contained in the primary sources

Pedagogy

12 weekly sessions, synchronous and asynchronous.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Atiya, A.S. A History of Eastern Christianity, Millwood New York: Kraus Reprint, 1980
  • Atiya, Aziz Suryal, ed. Coptic Encyclopedia, New York: Macmillan, 1991. 8 Volumes.
  • Butler, A.J. The Arab Conquest of Egypt and the last Thirty Years Of The Roman Dominion, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902
  • Cannuyer C. Coptic Egypt. The Christians of the Nile, New York: Thames & Hudson, 2000.
  • Decret, F. Early Christianity in North Africa, translated by Smither, Edward, Cascade Books, 2009
  • Gabra, Gawdat. Historical Dictionary of the Coptic Church. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2008. (recommended for purchase)
  • Harmless, W. S.J. Desert Christians, An introduction to the Literature of Early Monasticism, New York: Oxford University Press, 2004
  • Isichei, E. A History of Christianity in Africa from Antiquity to the Present. Lawrenceville, New Jersey: Africa World Press Inc, 1991
  • Meinardus, O. Monks and Monasteries of the Egyptian Deserts. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 1989
  • Meinardus, O. Christians in Egypt, Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2006
  • Swanson, Mark. N. The Coptic Papacy in Islamic Egypt (641-1517). The American University of Cairo Press, 2007

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Critical Review 2000 30.0
Document Study 2000 30.0
Essay 2500 40.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 13 Sep, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-09-13 13:42:18 +1000