Digging into the Process of Turning a Community into a Minority

Abstract

The writer depicts how the church authority gave birth to its nemesis by exerting increasing control over religious rituals and practices. Because of this control, Copts were inclined to adopt new and more individualistic religious practices under the influence of new Protestant missionaries, Jehovah’s Witnesses and diaspora Copts. The growing opposition to the strictness of traditional rituals, lead increasing numbers of young Coptic priests to adopt religious practices and sermon speech styles influenced by TV performances of international charismatic Evangelical and missionary personalities. The writer cites the examples of Coptic religious figures who adopted the new practices and sermons, such as Makari Younan, Zakaria Boutros and Father Samaan, the Priest of Copts in Mokattam garbage village.