Heritage & Theology
The Heart of Coptic Worship
The spiritual meaning of Coptic prayer, sacraments, liturgies and the Church’s seasons.
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Edition details
Paperback
- Format
- Paperback
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 178
- ISBN-13
- 9781923901483
- ISBN status
- Reserved; registration pending
- Dimensions
- 7 × 10 in
- Availability
- Coming soon
Hardcover
- Format
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 178
- ISBN-13
- 9781923901490
- ISBN status
- Reserved; registration pending
- Dimensions
- 7 × 10 in
- Availability
- Coming soon
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About This Book
Bishop Youannis of Gharbia approaches worship as the Church’s living expression of faith, not a collection of disconnected ceremonies. He begins with the Orthodox understanding of the Church, the meaning of worship, the ministers who serve and the wisdom held in rites. The aim is to see how visible actions and spoken prayers carry the believer into the presence of God.
The book then opens the Hours and Psalms, praise, Baptism and Chrismation. It follows preparation, renunciation of Satan, immersion, the seal of the Spirit and the meaning of new birth. In the Divine Liturgy, Old Testament signs—Melchizedek, manna, Passover, the psalm of the Shepherd and the Song of Songs—are read alongside the Eucharistic mystery.
Separate chapters walk through the Basilian, Gregorian and Cyrillian Liturgies, attending to offering, vestments, washing of hands, the Lamb, the Gospel, reconciliation, the kiss of peace and the anaphora. Bishop Youannis draws on Scripture and the Fathers so that the words, movements and silences of worship can be understood as spiritual teaching rather than empty form.
The final section follows the Church’s seasons and particular rites: Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Bright Saturday, the Holy Fifty Days, Laqqan, Pentecost and the Kneeling Prayers. For readers who want to enter Coptic worship with greater understanding, this book brings doctrine, prayer, symbol and daily spiritual life into one connected account.
Bishop Youannis (1923–1987), Bishop of Gharbia, was a Coptic Orthodox monk, teacher and pastor. This work belongs to his twentieth-century ministry of preaching and Christian formation.
The spiritual meaning of Coptic prayer, sacraments, liturgies and the Church’s seasons.
Generative artificial intelligence assisted the English translation and preparation of this edition. This accessible edition does not replace primary texts, printed editions or surviving manuscripts. Scholars should verify quotations, textual readings and academic conclusions against those sources.
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The twelve selected pages are from the 178-page 7 × 10 in paperback preparation.
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This edition is intended to improve access to the work. Advanced digital tools, including generative AI, were used in its production, with responsibility for the final text and editorial decisions remaining with the editor.
This access edition is intended for general reading, discovery and further exploration. It may also serve as a stepping stone for academic study. Some passages may remain uncertain or benefit from further refinement. Readers undertaking academic research or detailed theological study should consult the original-language sources, relevant manuscripts and specialist scholarship; this edition is not presented as a scholarly translation or critical edition.
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