In the earlier sessions we've looked at some ancient history of Egypt to inform freedom
and advocacy for the Coptic Church today.
My presentation today will shift gears to a more recent theological history, from the
twentieth century in another continent.
The Arab Spring began with the self immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a fruit and vegetable
seller whose cart was confiscated by police in Tunisia.
What followed were revolutionary cries of freedom from economic and political oppression
in Tunisia, where the government was overthrown in Jan. 14, 2011, followed by the Jan. 25,
2011 revolution from Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, where the Mubarak government was overthrown
on Feb. 11, 2011.
In Egypt, the Jan. 25, 2011 riots were also sparked by protests against police brutality
in the killing of Khaled Saeed.
Coptic Christians, following the New Year church bombing in Alexandria 2010/2011, felt
unsafe with the false promises of security in the military state of the Mubarak dictatorship
and regime.
While the hierarchy of Coptic Orthodox Church, led by Pope Shenouda III at the time, chose
to remain silent while facing constant persecution from militant Islam, the Coptic youth joined
the riots in Tahrir Square, calling along with other Egyptian citizens for Mubarak to
step down, and for a government that respected the Egyptians' rights to "bread, freedom,
and social justice."
Following the fall of the Mubarak regime, the Coptic hierarchy and media made strong
initiatives in informing their congregants to vote for the November 2011 elections.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood won the elections, only to increase the insecurity
of the Copts in Egypt.
With broken promises regarding the economy of Egypt, and with insecurity and policies
that concerned itself with Palestine more than Egypt, riots against the Muslim Brotherhood
leadership occurred in Egypt in 2013, only to be overtaken by a military coup that led
to another military regime headed by president Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi.
Since then, President Sisi attempted to improve the relations with the Copts, finding much
support by the hierarchy now led by the new Pope Tawadros II, promising to rebuild churches
burnt by the Muslims Brotherhood supporters, and even showing up by surprise to attend
and give a speech, cheered by many Coptic Christians, at the Cathedral's Christmas
liturgy.
The Coptic hierarchy as such gave its full support to Sisi, encouraging all Copts to
cheer on and never critique anything under the new government.
However, this full-fledged support to a military dictatorship that censors voices of political
opposition, that doesn't allow for the church to speak against torture and oppression of
citizens, and that doesn't solve the economic peril facing many Copts and their non-Christian
neighbours equally.
Coptic Christians today face the same issues that people in Latin America faced during
the military coups and dictatorships of the second half of the twentieth century.
It was in the context of the injustices faced by the poor of these Latin American nations
that Liberation Theology was born.
In the midst of economic and political injustices that marginalized and oppressed the poor,
theologians and some Catholic bishops and priests reflected on the experiences of the
poor, and developed a theology based on the experiences of those who are poor in light
of the social justice tradition of the Catholic Church, in order to stand for the social justice
of those living in poverty and who are marginalized in society.
As such, liberation theology is based on the contemporary context and practice of faith,
which is followed by a reflection on the theology behind the practice.
Liberation theology works from experience first, and then secondly finds how the Gospel
can address those experiences.
For liberation theologians, poverty is the result of injustice in society, or what came
to termed as social structural sin.
While the Church has traditionally focused on individual sin and repentance from ego,
liberation theologians recognized that egoistic, individual sins can build up to collective
social sins that marginalize and oppress the "other," thus creating poverty.
Poverty, however, could mean a number of things, and liberation theologian Gustav Gutierrez
notes three meanings of poverty: (1) Political and social liberation, which
points towards the elimination of the immediate causes of poverty and injustice, especially
with regard to socio-economic structures.
Liberation theology attempts to construct a society based on respect for the other,
and especially for the weakest and the insignificant; (2) human liberation, which goes deeper
than just changing social structures.
It means liberating human beings of all those things – not just in the social sphere – that
limit their capacity to develop themselves freely and in dignity.
(3) liberation from selfishness and sin.
Over-coming ego leads to re-establishing friendship with God and with other people.
Reflecting on Scripture, Liberation Theologians emphasize the over-looked liberation aspects
of the God revealed in Scripture: the God who saves by standing with those who are oppressed
and liberating them.
The story of the Exodus of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, for example, is a story
of the liberation of an oppressed and enslaved people by the God who saves.
The liberation is from an oppressive social structure, and it is done collectively and
politically, while later individual sins and redemption from such sins are emphasized by
the priestly material in the stories.
The same can be said of the prophetic tradition of calling out social sins and repentance
that is tied to liberating the poor, the orphans, the widows, and refugees.
The Gospel of Luke also takes the centre stage of liberation theology, where Mary's Magnificat
is a song of the poor overpowering the rich, and Jesus as the Messiah who liberates the
poor and frees the prisoners from their oppression.
Jesus, the inclusive saviour, goes to all the marginalized of society, whether poor
or rich, to include them in table fellowship: the Pharisees, the Zealots, the tax collectors,
the publicans, prostitutes, lepers, are all members of the mystical Body of Christ.
Liberation Theology also learns from and attends carefully to the social sciences to explain
how theology, and the Christian faith, can lead to liberation of the poor, or those who
are oppressed by social and economic ideologies.
This kind of theological reflection goes beyond the past theology that attended to philosophy
and philosophical inquiry; one could say that liberation theology takes that primary stage
of theology for granted, and now shifts the theological paradigm to learning from the
social sciences and addressing the social experiences of all people in their contemporary
contexts.
It is theology done from the perspective of the poor.
Thus, liberation theology opened the doors to new inquiries and challenges on specific
social issues as they are addressed by the Church's practice and theology: feminist
theology, black and aboriginal theology, queer theology, and even ecological theology, to
name a few examples.
While Liberation Theology did find opposition from both Rome and some bishops in Latin America,
as well as the U.S., all of which falsely equated Liberation Theology with Marxist communism,
it is noteworthy that Liberation Theology is the theology of the people, by the people,
for the people.
It is theology that started with the people, and eventually found formal support in the
social justice tradition of the Catholic Magisterium.
One fruitful way of doing Liberation Theology in Latin America is found in the example of
Base Ecclesial Communities, which are non-clerical laypeople's gathering that started in Brazil
in the 1960's then spread throughout Latin America.
This is a Church "born of the people."
In a work on Brazilian Base Ecclesial Communities, Andrew Dawson described what occurred in these
meetings.
The communal gatherings of people, mainly from the poor and marginalized, were led by
laypeople and utilized the See-Judge-Act method of various student/youth movements.
The weekly meetings were opened with the communal prayer or hymns.
This was followed by a half-hour recounting of the past week's events and concerns by
each individual participating in the community gathering, where they related their week's
experience and hardships.
This stage of open sharing represents the seeing phase of the See–Judge–Act method.
This was followed by a lectio divina, where a Scripture passage is read aloud and people
shared their own comments on how the text is relevant in the context of their own lives
and experiences, and perhaps have an open discussion.
Note that the people's experiences are the context by which the biblical text is interrogated
and made relevant to the life setting of the group.
Lasting for up to an hour or more, this time of reflection is the judging aspect of the
See-Judge-Act method.
For the final stage of the gathering, action, it is worth quoting directly from Andrew Dawson:
"Upon being opened to the everyday concerns and events of the poor, it is within the formal
ecclesial arena that the people find acceptance, resolve and encouragement from the knowledge
and experience that God is not only on their side, but also calling for an end to the massively
unjust and unacceptable conditions in which so many at the base spend their entire lives.
Spurred on by the affirmation they have found, many involved in such community gatherings
seek to work out what they have heard by way of a practical engagement with pressing neighbourhood
issues.
The stages of seeing and judging thereby pass to a time of action; a time of action in which
those empowered within the base ecclesial community immerse themselves within traditionally
secular neighbourhood concerns such as local community centres, women's groups, cooperative
ventures, political parties and unions, youth clubs, and ad hoc campaigns in the pursuit
of a local health clinic, sanitation facilities, school and public transport provisions."
What can Liberation Theology offer the Coptic Orthodox Christians of today?
The Coptic Orthodox Church has the potential to develop and operate a Liberation Theology
that would be attentive to social relations of the Church and the World.
There is in the current state of the Church a contrast between the individual-centred
theology operating in the Coptic Orthodox Church, on the one hand, and the rise of interest
in social justice issues among young, revolutionary Coptic people in Egypt and in the diaspora,
on the other hand.
Given the historical Patristic heritage of the Coptic Orthodox Church, as well recent
encounters in ecumenical and missionary activity in poorer countries, I will argue that the
Coptic Orthodox Church is at a time of renewal in theology, particularly as Copts deal with
the situation of social injustice as minorities in Egypt, or come across injustice and poverty
in poorer nations as missionaries.
What can a renewal in Coptic theology with the paradigm of Liberation Theology look like?
I suggest the following calls to action: A change in the frame of reference for salvation:
the church can emphasize social sins and the need to think of salvation in terms of liberation
from oppressive social structures.
This will empower the people to think beyond their individual need for salvation, which
in a sense is egoistic.
A change in missionary works of charity: changing aid for the poor from individualistic (sometimes
egoistic) charity-giving through charitable organizations, and towards furthering interaction
in communities, whether through grass-root movements, education, and gatherings, as found
in the example of Base Ecclesial Communities in Latin America.
A change in the eschatology of the church: considering that the poor suffer the most
and have to endure their suffering, and given the more troubling context of people getting
killed for their Christian faith, the church has glorified the martyrs and confessors as
those who immediately surpass their suffering and live in a peaceful state of paradise with
Christ.
The trouble with such theology is that it is not life-centred and body-centred, and
leads to a hope in a form of Gnostic paradise.
In other words, it enters the purpose of life as one that is unembodied and separated from
the community and its affairs.
As such, this is no longer martyrdom — witnessing to the faith in the resurrection — as much
as it is being victims of oppression and an act of complacency towards the oppressor.
Martyrdom in the context of Liberation Theology means that those who suffer from oppression
stand as witnesses to the praxis of solidarity with the oppressed and dispossessed, who motivate
and announce the Gospel (good news) of liberation, and who suffer for justice to happen.
The end, or purpose of martyrdom, is to be a seed of transformation for the Church, to
empower and motivate those who are alive to practice and preach what liberates the human
person as a whole and gives life to the community and neighbours, transforming even to those
who are engaged in the oppression.
An end to clerical authoritarianism that is centred on the performance of the liturgy:
oppression of the poor can also occur within the walls of the parish.
A primary example of such oppression is with issues of inclusivity of women, where much
debate has occurred over communion, and over their participation as leading choirs or in
the service of the deaconate.
There is also the strong practice of honouring priests and bishops, who stand separately
from the rest of the church in the performance of the liturgy, as well as other inherited
cultural practices of dressing differently than laypeople and honouring clergy by kissing
their hands.
Liberation Theology would rather emphasize the equality of the clergy with the laity
in the Body of Christ.
While different in function (the limbs of the Body are different) the Body of Christ
has sufficient diversity that is useful for the service of the church.
As service, no one order can have authority over the other, and leadership is one of service
rather than authority.
This would mean modernizing the way people approach the clergy (e.g. no kissing hands)
and modernizing the clerical uniform (interestingly, Coptic clerics still wear the uniforms of
their oppression by the Ottoman rulers).
While theoretically equal, the practice of clerical authoritarianism has harmed even
the psyche of the Coptic laity in taking their own initiatives and following their own consciences
in a variety of issues, including things such as career choices that go beyond interpreting
canon laws that regard communion and marriage.
Liturgical reform is also necessary: the structure of churches need to adapt to the reality of
equality in the Body of Christ, and to the liberation themes of a God who is not transcendent
and unreachable, but a God who is near and who liberates through the incarnate Jesus
Christ.
Such theology can be developed by shifting from the basilica style of altars far removed
from the people (and hidden behind an iconstasis), towards an altar that is encircled and centred,
as well as having more laypeople involved in the liturgy, especially women in the service
of choir groups, and prayers in language that could be communicated and understood.
What's significant in such is that standing in a circle around the altar as equals was
an early Coptic monastic practice: a tradition that could be useful to reintroduce and adapt.
More noteworthy, is the change needed in the iconography of the Coptic Churches, where
Jesus is imaged as a White, powerful ruler returning in judgment with the globe in his
hand (a theme from the Book of Revelation).
Liberation Theology would challenge such portrayal of a transcendent God in our humanity: perhaps
iconography of the church can reflect more incarnational imagery of Jesus the liberator
among the poor of his people, a Jesus who is portrayed not as a White saviour figure,
but as a fellow Copt (another great example is the thematic image of this symposium, of
the Red Sea Crossing by Fadi Mikhail, with women leading the dance of the Exodus and
liberation.
Imagine how that painting of liberation would inspire the Church if it was used as the central
icon in the sanctuary!)
As Liberation Theology works with a low Christology, it can serve as a corrective to the dualistic,
"othering" practice of displaying a divine Jesus, so transcendent in his humanity that
he no longer shares in our own humanity.
Such liturgical changes would help in turning the liturgy from a performance by the clergy
for a transcendent, and towards a prayer of participation by the whole "people of God,"
which is gathered as a community for action in the community.
In order to empower the poor (women) in the church, I suggest a move such as that which
occurred in Latin America: laypeople-led base ecclesial communities.
Interestingly, the Coptic Church has historical, traditional models to follow in this regard:
monasticism, which was a form of withdrawal from society for the sake of liberating the
church corrupted by social structures in society.
One of the practices of monastic prayer still alive today and practiced by a number of laypeople
in city parishes is the prayer of Tasbeha.
What laypeople can thus do with such a laypeople-led prayer is to follow each Canticle, for example,
with the See-Judge-Act methodology of communal prayer in base ecclesial communities.
What can the first Canticle, which is the song of Moses and the liberated people of
Israel, say to Coptic Christians who are economically poor, politically oppressed, or socially marginalized,
whether within the church or in society at large?
Such reflections can go beyond the common allegorized interpretation of this Canticle
as a symbol of individual salvation through baptism, and rather reflect on the Canticle
from the perspective of liberation from oppressive regimes.
Another example from Tasbeha: what does praising the Theotokos with high honours, and allegorizing
the Temple of Jerusalem with her fitting example, mean to honouring the temples of God alive
today?
What does it mean for the poor and marginalized, when Mary was truly our sister as a poor and
marginalized Jewish woman?
What does it mean to Coptic women today, who are unjustly marginalized for their natural
bodily functions and excluded from a number of church services, when the community praises
a woman who was chosen by God?
These are reflections that can go beyond the text of what is used in the prayers and hymns,
leading the laypeople to reflect, judge their situations, and then inspired and moved to
act for the liberation of the poor and oppressed.
Tasbeha is a leading Coptic Christian tradition that could be laypeople-led and where a Scripture
text can be made relevant in the context of the people's own lives and experiences.
Further political and social involvement by the laity: it is not for the clerics of the
church to pretend that they know best for the future of Coptic Christians or to officially
act in political relations with the Egyptian state (or any state), as clerics are not democratically
elected political representatives of the laypeople.
While it is true that the hierarchy has pastoral responsibilities for their people, there is
really a limit towards the authority of a pastor over human persons, with liberty and
intrinsic human dignity, as well as gifts that are of service to the church and the
local secular community — in other words, there is a limit to the metaphor of laypeople
being a "flock" led by a responsible "pastor."
There is a need to renew the language of clerical-laypeople relations.
One example could be the Pauline language of the "Body of Christ" with various members
having various gifts of service to the one Church.
All the "People of God" can have their own voices, and are to be encouraged to follow
their informed consciences.
It is upto the clergy to trust in delegating the affairs of the community to the community
itself, and furthermore to trust in the work of the Holy Spirit among the people that she
inspires.
In conclusion, with such brief ideas, I argue that the Coptic Orthodox Church has the potential
to turn its attention away from the old philosophical/theological/apologetic paradigms that blindly follow inherited traditions,
that focus on individual salvation; and rather move towards critically utilizing and shaping
that tradition towards social justice issues by accepting and working with a Liberation
Theology paradigm — a theology that could be meaningful to its own church members, and
which would empower their own church members to work towards social justice and peace,
both in Egypt and abroad.
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