Figure 1.--The photo was taken during a Mass in an Egyptian Coptic Church. In this rite, nearing the altar, nobody can be shod. The people take off their footwear for the Holy Communion, the priests and the altar servers must be shoeless all the time. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.

Traditional Egyptian religion did not begin to disappear until after the Roman conquest when Christianity began to spread. Not a great deal is known about the early Christian Church in Egypt. It does not seem to have been greatly influenced by the Jesus movenent in Palestine, but more by Christian churches founded by St. Paul and St. Peter that spread throughout the Empire. Gradually Egyptians began to convert to Christianity. Accounts of the Great Persecution (303 AD) report large numbers of Christians in Egypt. When Christisanity was afopted by Constantine, the persecutions ended. Christianity became the state religion of the Empire. There was a wide range of Christian beliefs. And emperors wanted religious orthodoxy. Christian religious concepts began widely accepted in Egypt as the Coptic Church formed. The Copts were, however, at odds with Byzantine orthodixy. One of the main issues in the early church was the conflict between Arius and Athanasius. The monastic movement was born in Egypt. It began with early hermits. Holy men would leave their families and go out into the desert beyond the Nile. They would live in the desert or other remote locations and contemplate their relation with Christ. Over time as the number of hermits increased, they began to band together for pratical matters. These bands became the first monasteries. Byzantine religious and civil authorities attempted to stamp out the Coptic church was seen as heresy. The Arabs in contrast who conquered Egypt (640-42 AD) did not interfere with Church doctrine. They did promote the conversions of Christians to Islam, although the economic advantsages were a powerful factor.

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Created: 9:26 PM 1/28/2010
Last updated: 9:26 PM 1/28/2010