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Browsing Academic Research by Author "Agaiby, Lisa"
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- PublicationAbba Antony, Star of the Wilderness and Crown of Monks(Brill, 2021-11) Agaiby, Lisa; Tim Vivian; Agaiby, LisaAbba Antony, Star of the Wilderness and Crown of Monks: The Harbor and Salvation for Monks
- Publication“Antony of Egypt, Saint: Arabic life by Serapion of Thmuis.”(Claremont Graduate University, 2021-08) Agaiby, Lisa; Gabra, Gawdat; Torjesen, Karen
- PublicationThe Arabic Life of Antony attributed to Serapion of Thmuis. Cultural Memory Reinterpreted(Brill, 2018-10) Agaiby, LisaIn The Arabic Life of Antony Attributed to Serapion of Thmuis, I demonstrate how the redacted Life of Antony, the “Father of all monks and star of the wilderness”, gained widespread acceptance within Egypt shortly after its composition in the 13th century and dominated Coptic liturgical texts on Antony for over 600 years – the influence of which is still felt up to the present day. By providing a first edition and translation, Agaiby demonstrates how the Arabic Life bears witness to the reinterpretation of the religious memory of Antony in the Coptic Orthodox Church.
- PublicationAsceticism and Social Harmony(Société d’Archéologie Copte, 2014) Agaiby, LisaIn the West hierarchies within monasticism were aligned with the class distinctions of the broader Roman world. In the East, by comparison, their intention was to put everyone on an equal footing for they believed that breaking down existing social categories facilitated harmony and commonality in the monastic community. This paper considers the differences between early monastic practices in the East and West in the 4th and 5th centuries. early Egyptian monasticism, and how this differed from early monasticism experienced in the West.
- PublicationThe Cenotaph in the Cave Church of St Paul the Hermit at the Red Sea: A Case Study of a Dream in the Twentieth Century(Brill, 2021-01) Agaiby, Lisa; Swanson, Mark; Van Doorn-Harder, Nelly; Agaiby, LisaFor Coptic Christians, the mystical presence of saints is “real” and supernatural dreams can be considered as authentic experiences. Saints who appear in dreams belong to the collective imagination of the Copts and are perceived to be as real as those of waking reality. Dreaming of them is thus deeply established in Coptic history, culture, and religiosity, and the interpretation of dream accounts can be understood as a normal process of interaction and decision-making. An interesting dream that was experienced by a Coptic abbot in the mid-twentieth century is contained in an unpublished manuscript at the Monastery of St. Paul the Hermit at the Red Sea. Catalogued as MS St. Paul (History) 152/130, the Abbot Mīsāk al-Anbā Būlā (who subsequently became Bishop Arsāniyūs II) documents on the front flyleaves of the manuscript, a supernatural dream he experienced in 1946 that he interpreted as being divinely inspired, and hence prompted him to construct a new cenotaph for St. Paul the Hermit in the ancient cave church at his Monastery near the Red Sea. Using MS St. Paul (History) 152/130 as a case study, this chapter explores the circumstance surrounding the construction of the marble cenotaph in the Monastery in the mid-twentieth century, and the importance given by Copts to dreams as a means of divine revelation.
- PublicationThe Cenotaph in the Cave Church of St. Paul the Hermit(Brill, 2021) Nessim, Shadi; Agaiby, Lisa; Swanson, Mark; van Doorn Harder, Nelly; Agaiby, Lisa
- PublicationA Codicological Overview of St Paul Monastery Manuscript (History) 53.(Société d’Archéologie Copte, 2018) Agaiby, LisaThe earliest extant manuscript in the Red Sea monasteries containing the Life of Anbā Anṭūniyūs attributed to Serapion the bishop of Thmuis and the Life of Anbā Būlā attributed to Athanasius the patriarch of Alexandria, is catalogued as MS St Paul Monastery (History) 53. The manuscript was completed in 1413 AM (Coptic Year of the Martyrs), however, the colophon stipulates that the text of the Life of Anbā Anṭūniyūs was copied “from an original that dates back 427 years,” meaning that the “original” Life must have dated to c. 1269 AD. The book was endowed to the Monastery of St Antony, and it is not certain when or under what circumstance the book came to be the property of the Monastery of St Paul the Hermit.
- PublicationCoptic Religious Heritage: Is There a Future for the Past?(Brill, 2021-01) Innemée, Karel; Agaiby, LisaThe Coptic Church belongs to the oldest and most traditional Churches and is keen on preserving its immaterial heritage and traditions (music, rituals, hagiography, etc.). But what about its material heritage? Is there still a place and function for church buildings of centuries old? Can we adjust and modernize a church from the seventh century by installing air-conditioning and digital screens? Or should we turn ancient buildings and their inventories into museum pieces in favor of state-of-the-art architecture? The position of material heritage of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt is in a critical phase and at certain points even under threat. This is not a matter of deliberate vandalism or lack of means to maintain it, but a problem of a more complex character. This chapter is an attempt to analyze the problem and where possible, suggest solutions. It will show how the Coptic Church seems to stand at the crossroads of modernism and tradition.
- PublicationCopto-Arabic Sayings Attributed to St Antony the Great(Peeters Publishers, 2021-12) Agaiby, Lisa; Vincent, MarkusCopto-Arabic Sayings Attributed to St Antony the Great.” In: Studia Patristica. Vol. CXXIV - Papers presented at the Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2019. Volume 21: Hagiographica; Ascetica; Martyria (124).
- PublicationCopts in Modernity. "Introduction".(Brill, 2021-01) Agaiby, Lisa; Swanson, Mark; Van Doorn-Harder, Nelly; Agaiby, LisaCopts in Modernity presents a collection of essays – many of which contain unpublished archival material – showcasing historical and contemporary aspects pertaining to the Coptic Orthodox Church.
- PublicationCopts in Modernity. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Coptic Studies, Melbourne, 13-16 July 2018(Brill, 2021-01) Agaiby, Lisa; Swanson, Mark; Van Doorn Harder, Nelly; Agaiby, LisaCopts in Modernity presents a collection of essays – many of which contain unpublished archival material – showcasing historical and contemporary aspects pertaining to the Coptic Orthodox Church. The volume covers three main themes: The first theme, History, gathers studies that look back to the nineteenth and late eighteenth centuries to understand the realities of the twentieth and twenty-first; the second theme, Education, Leadership and Service, explores the role of religious education in the revival of the Church and how Coptic religious principles influenced the ideas of leadership and service that resulted in the Church’s spiritual revival; and the third theme, Identity and Material Culture, draws upon a broad range of material and visual culture to exemplify the role they play in creating and recreating identities. This volume brings together the work of senior and early career scholars from Australia, Europe, Egypt, and the United States.
- PublicationA Correspondence between Rome and Alexandria in the Middle Ages: An Example from the Eighteenth Century(Brill, 2021-01) Awad, Gregorios; Mark N. Swanson; Nelly van Doorn-Harder; Agaiby, LisaAfter the great schism of Chalcedon in 451 A.D., there were many—unsuccessful—attempts at reunion. Ever since the Council of Florence (1438–1445 A.D.), the Church of Rome made several attempts to unify with or conjoin under its authority the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, but all their efforts ended in failure. This chapter will present an overview of the correspondence between the See of Rome and the See of Alexandria from the time of the Council of Florence in the fifteenth century up until the nineteenth century. It will also include an unpublished letter that was written by a Catholic monk named Bartholomew, a delegate of Pius VI of Rome (1775–1799) to the Coptic patriarch Yūʾannīs XVIII (1769–1796), instructing Yūʾannīs to write a letter to Pius requesting unity with the Church of Rome and offering to be subject to Pius VI’s authority. The complete letter in Arabic with English translation is published here for the first time. It presents the Coptic Church’s response to the Catholic monk Bartholomew that was written by Yūsāb the bishop of Jirjā and Akhmīm (1735–1826), on behalf of Patriarch Yūʾannīs XVIII.
- PublicationDoor of the Wilderness: The Greek, Coptic, and Copto-Arabic Sayings of St. Antony of Egypt(Brill, 2021-11) Tim Vivian; Agaiby, LisaSaint Antony of Egypt (c. 251–356), often called “the father of monasticism,” has numerous representations: the Antony of the Life of Antony and the Letters, but also the Antony of around 120 sayings or apophthegmata. This volume presents fresh English translations of the Greek and Coptic sayings, as well as the first English translation of the Copto-Arabic sayings that are based on unpublished manuscripts. The volume thus opens the door to a richer image of Saint Antony’s many identities across various languages and traditions.
- PublicationDOXOLOGIES OF THE ARCHANGEL SURIEL(Peeters, 2023) Youssef, Youhanna; Agaiby, LisaThe doxologies did not attract attention of the scholarly world except for a few studies, especially the pioneering studies of Yassa ‘Abd al-Masih as well as the contribution of Evelyn-White for the history of the monastery of Saint Bishoy. I studied some doxologies such as the doxology of Elijah, doxology of the Seven Generals, Doxology of Kihak, Doxology of the Mark al-Antony, doxology Adam for the Matins, and others
- PublicationManual Labour in Early Egyptian Monasticism, From the Late Third to Mid-Fifth Century.(St Cyril Society (SCS) Press, 2015-10) Agaiby, LisaThe purpose of manual work was to bring the monk to perfection so that he may avoid the dangers of pride, excessive asceticism and self-righteousness. The monastic leaders encouraged a moderate balance between the disciplines and excess was discouraged as it was seen to encourage bias towards one discipline at the expense of another. This book seeks to present that by combining practical disciplines with contemplative aspects, the monk makes progress towards perfection and union with God.
- PublicationManuscripts Containing the Life of Antony in Arabic(Université Saint-Esprit, 2018-06) Agaiby, LisaThe purpose of this paper is to introduce the redacted Pseudo-Serapionic Life of Antony and the recensions that are contained in the unpublished manuscripts in the libraries of the Red Sea monasteries in Egypt.
- PublicationA Multidimensional Understanding of Sunday School in the Coptic Orthodox Tradition(Brill, 2021) Salib, Michael; Mark N. Swanson; Nelly van Doorn-Harder; Agaiby, LisaBy the end of the twentieth century, the once popular Sunday School ministry founded in England by Robert Raikes at the end of the eighteenth century, was predicted to be extinct by the twenty-first century. American church growth writers in the 1990s were labelling Sunday School ministry a dinosaur, a relic of the past age. Meanwhile in Egypt, and Coptic churches abroad, Sunday School was still a thriving ministry where it was, and still is, given supreme priority amongst other ministries in the Church. Sunday Schools began in the Coptic Church in response to the activities of the Western missionaries in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The movement grew rapidly, and eventually became an important tool for Coptic Church reform, producing a new generation of church leaders in the latter half of the twentieth century. While the Church recently celebrated more than 100 years of Sunday School, it is imperative to re-evaluate the approach taken for Christian education in the Coptic Church, particularly in today’s pluralistic and post-Christian world. This chapter aims to examine the history, role, and nature of Sunday School in the Coptic Orthodox tradition, compare these findings with the current cultural milieu and contend that a multidimensional approach towards Sunday School may be needed for the Coptic Church today.
- PublicationPachomius: Father of the Community(Société d’Archéologie Copte, 2015) Agaiby, LisaThe 4th century monastic pioneer of communal monasticism – Pachomius – speaks of his community as being one of fellowship, for it is a term that described the early Christians who had all things in common. Pachomius was not just a pioneer of communal monasticism, but a pioneer in Christian living who was divinely instructed to resurrect the life of the early Christian community. This paper seeks to consider how Pachomius’ conversion to Christian and training as an ascetic established the groundwork for his vision of a community of brothers equal and united in prayer and work. In establishing a common rule, I will seek to identify the challenges Pachomius faced, and how equality in all things, including work, was necessary for fostering harmony amongst the brothers.
- PublicationPope Mark VIII (1796–1809), the Author of Psalis for St. Mark(Brill, 2021) Youssef, Youhanna; Agaiby, LisaAfter providing an extended introduction about the historical context of Pope Mark VIII (the 108th patriarch, 1796–1809) as given in several primary sources (including a survey of developments under his predecessor, Pope John XVIII, 1769–1796), I discuss the pastoral ministry and literary activities of this patriarch who was responsible for the construction of the cathedral of St. Mark in the Azbakiyya district of Cairo. I provide the complete Coptic text of a Psali for St. Mark, with English translation, and argue that this psali was written by the patriarch himself for the consecration of the new cathedral.
- PublicationThe Sayings of St. Antony the Great in the Bustān al-Ruhbān(Brill, 2021-11) Agaiby, Lisa; Tim Vivian; Agaiby, LisaThe Sayings of St. Antony the Great in the Bustān al-Ruhbān: The Copto-Arabic Sayings of Abba Antony