Coptic Identity and Ayyubid Politics in Egypt

Following the death in 1216 BCE of the Egyptian Coptic patriarch Yuhanna ibn Abi Ghalib, a priest by the name of Daud ibn Yuhanna ibn Laqlaq petitioned the Muslim Ayyubid state authorities to be appointed the patriarch of the Coptic Christian church in Egypt, only to be stymied in these efforts by Coptic protests against Ibn Laqlaq and Ayyubid meddling in Coptic affairs, leaving the position of patriarch empty for 19 years until the eventual accession of Ibn Laqlaq, who reigned for eight controversial years as Cyril III. Werthmuller (history, Azusa Pacific U.) explores these events as a window into the forces that shaped Coptic communal identity under the Ayyubid dynasty. While the Copts certainly played an active role in shaping the boundaries of their own identity, these boundaries were constantly redefined by the situational politics and personal idiosyncrasies of the Muslim leadership. He structures his discussion around a series of letters sent by Cyril III to his constituent community concerning the extension of the authority of the patriarchate beyond the boundaries of Egypt, the issues of Coptic converts from Islam, and the role of monasticism in Coptic identity. Distributed in the US by International Publishers Marketing (IPM). Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Kurt J. Werthmuller is assistant professor of history at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa. CA. He holds a PhD in Middle Eastern history from the University of California. Santa Barbara.