Coptic Christianity in Ottoman Egypt - Hardcover

Febe Armanios establishes her rightful place as a leading scholar whose expertise covers the yawning gap between late antiquity and the contemporary period... Coptic Christianity in Ottoman Egypt should appeal to multiple scholarly audiences in Middle Eastern history and religious studies. Beyond a scholarly audience, this monograph, now available in affordable paperback version, merits a broader readership for anyone interested in the life of minority communities in the Arab Muslim world. (International Journal of Middle East Studies)

a fascinating and important contribution to Ottoman Egyptian history, Coptic history, and the history of minorities under Muslim rule (Najwa al-Qattan, Journal of the American Academy of Religion)

this history is rigorously contextualized; it is also deeply informed by the author's knowledge of broader Coptic history and the histories of other religious minorities in the Ottoman Empire. ... she wonderfully illustrates the extent to which Coptic Christianity was in dialogue with other CHristian groups, particualrly with regard to the Catholic Church. All in all, her effort represents a fascinating and important contribution to Ottoman Egyptian history, Coptic history, and the history of minorities under Muslim rule. (Najwa al-Qattan, Journal of the American Academy of Religion)

well researched and attractively presentedmonograph (Maria Haralambakis, Al-Masaq)

Egypt's Coptic Christians are the largest non-Muslim minority in the Middle East. Yet Copts, one of the world's oldest Christian communities, remain understudied relative to other ethnic and religious minorities in the region. They have been marginalized in existing scholarship, their experience subsumed by that of the majority Muslim population within Egypt. This is particularly true in studies of the Ottoman era (1517-1798), a pivotal period in the shaping of modern Egypt. This book is the first monograph to examine the religious beliefs and traditions of Christians in Ottoman Egypt and to understand Coptic religious expression in the context of its surrounding culture. More broadly, this study reveals Ottoman society's diversity by examining the intimate interaction between Muslim and Christian practice, and between the Muslim majority and ethno-religious minorities generally. This book will not only enrich our understanding of the Ottoman period but also elucidate the complex relations between majority and minority populations in the Middle East today.