Coptic Culture
Christian Teachings and Thought, Part VI
by Ed Rizkalla
“
je `Anok pe pimwit nem ]me;myi nem piwnq”
“انا هو الطريق والحق والحياة ”
On a business trip to Austria a few years ago, the writer took some time to visit the Imperial Apartments museum in Vienna, which houses some of the treasures of the Hapsburg emperors. Vienna is a charming city, which offers a rich cultural heritage that satisfies most tastes. Among the displays of museum were some of the imperial kitchen’s utensils, including a common metallic washing tub.
The tag on the tub that the emperors observed a tradition to wash the feet of their servants on Maundy Thursday, following the footsteps of Christ the Lord, as he washed the feet of the disciples (John 13:1-18).
The writer learned later on that this tradition was common among some other Christian European royalties. Christian teachings and thought have in fact influenced, and continue to influence, many civilizations and cultures around the world. Of truth Jesus Christ is the true light that shines all mankind, and of truth Jesus is the ONE and only way, truth, and life.
In the Hellenic era, Alexandria, Egypt was a major center for commerce and learning. In the early centuries AD, many of the well-renowned Christian philosophers, teachers, and theologians came from or resided at Alexandria, Egypt. Among these great Christian luminaries is the Coptic philosopher and theologian Origen (185-254 AD).
Origen is considered as one of the early Fathers of the universal Church, though in later centuries some of his views were considered controversial. For the interested readers, Wikipedia online (1) outlines a brief article about Origen. The writer, with the grace of Christ the Lord, will continue to explore the influence of Christian teachings and thought on Coptic culture. Among Origen’s writings is the “Commentary on John” (2). It includes an exposition for the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, a story as indicated above seem to have influenced many civilizations and cultures around the world. The following is a brief excerpt thereof:
“But do not be shocked, you need to seek a higher meaning for “if she has washed the feet of the saints” (1 Tim 5:10) where, along with male elders, female elders are commanded to be good teachers. See if it is not also vexatious that all without distinction who are disciples of Christ, wishing to fulfill the prescription “you also ought to wash each other’s feet” (John 13:15), should consider themselves bound to wash the bodily and sensible feet of their brothers, as if believers who happened to be in any station of life whatsoever were to do this, even bishops and presbyters who are apparently in prominent ecclesiastical position and those who have honorable secular rank. Following this reasoning a master would be required to wash the feet of a slave who is a believer and parents those of a child...That it may sometimes be appropriate to wash the feet of one or another disciple of Jesus, and for that person to offer his feet to be washed- the one performing it and the other receiving it out of love and hospitality- I would admit.”
Another example for our review comes from Origen’s book “Against Celsus”. Origen wrote “Against Celsus” to defend the Christian faith against the pagans’ writings, in this particular case a work entitled “True Logos”, written by the pagan writer Celsus. In this book, Origen contributed to changing some of the ancient Egyptians customs, namely the mummification of the dead.
Origen notes ”Neither we ourselves nor the divine Scriptures say that those who have once died will live again in the flesh without its having undergone any change for the better when they rise again from the earth.. Let us listen to the many scriptures speaking of the resurrection in a manner worthy of God. It will suffice for the present to cite the text from Paul in First Corinthians, where he says: “But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? And with what will they come?’ Fool, in your own case what you sow does not activate, unless it dies, and when you sow, you do not sow the body that will come to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or some other plant, and God gives it body” (1Cor 15:35-8)…We hear the Logos teaching at length about the difference between the one which is, as it were, awakened by him: “It is sown in dishonor, it is awakened in glory. It is sown a soulish body, it is awakened a spiritual body.”
In the first example the “Commentary on John” Origen writing affirms three ancient Egyptian cultural attributes 1) respect for women and their role in the family and society at large, 2) The equality of men and women, and 3) Respect for the individual and their individuality. Origen illustrates that a single verse taken out of context might be misunderstood as possibly accepting a lower threshold of societal esteem for a poor widow or women in general.
Origen illustrates the true spirit of Christian teachings, as Christ commands his disciples to wash one another’s feet (John 13:15). Origen notes that Christ’s commandment stands for all times to all the believers, male and female alike, and both the master and slave, regardless of the status, position or rank. He further indicates that the act of washing the feet is in fact as a reciprocal act of love and hospitality among individuals. In the second example, “Against Celsus”, Origen contributes to a better understanding of the Christian beliefs in the resurrection of the dead. Christian teachings and thought illustrate that preserving or mummifying the dead a moot point. Almost a century after Origen’s death, Saint Athanasius the Apostolic (293-373 AD) in “The Life of Anthony”, also admonished against the mummification of the dead, a cultural norm observed for thousands of years by the ancient Egyptians.
Christian teachings and thought, over time, managed to persuade the ancient Egyptian coverts to Christianity to stop the custom of mummify the dead. This process of gradual change in accepted ancient Egyptian cultural norms was aided later on by edicts of emperor Theodosius I (347-395 AD) to proscribe the pagan religion and its practices.
The peace of the Lord be with you all. Irene Passe.
References:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origen
(2) Origen, by Joseph W. Trigg, Routledge, New York, NY, 1998.
Acknowledgement: The writer would like to acknowledge and thank the staff of the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, for their assistance with research for background material for this article.
Ed Rizkalla is a management consultant and freelance writer. He is the founder of Pharos on the Potomac Group (POPG), a non-profit organization at Annandale, VA.