Christianity and Monasticism in Upper Egypt―Akhmim and Sohag

Scholars of Coptic language and literature, of art history, of religion, and of other disciplines focus on the legacy of Saint Shenoute the Archimandrite, one of the great figures of Coptic Christianity during its golden age in the fourth and fifth centuries, and abbot of the White Monastery in Sohag for 80 years. Among their topics are some aspects of volume eight of Shenoute's Canons, the role of the female elder in his White Monastery, the fate of the monastery's library, the epigraphic evidence for monks and scholars in the Panopolite Nome, liturgy, the wall niches as an examples of the monastery's sculptural heritage, Coptic art during the Ottoman period, and the Red Monastery Conservation Project in 2006 and 2007. The 25 essays are from the third international symposium sponsored by the St. Mark Foundation for Coptic History Studies and the St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society, held at the White Monastery itself. There is no index. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

HANY N. TAKLA is the founding president of the Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society.