Theological education in the Orthodox tradition since 1982

St Cyril’sCoptic Orthodox Theological College
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L7192

The Divine Liturgy: History and Theology

Code
L7192
Level
Undergraduate
Weighting
9 credit points
Type
Foundational
Discipline
Liturgy

Check the academic calendar to see when this unit is next offered, thenenrol online.

Prerequisites, corequisites or exclusions

Nil

Academic Staff

Mina Samy

BE (Honours), UNSW
MA (Theological Studies), St Cyril’s
PhD (cand.), USyd

Curriculum Objectives

This graduate course unit provides students a foundation for the study of the worship of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. Develop and apply tools and methods for the critical analysis of liturgical units.
  2. Effectively assess and critique liturgical practices and rites.
  3. Demonstrate a critical knowledge of history, structure, and symbolism of Anaphoral rites, as well as their theological significance.
  4. Articulate and expound on the question of meaning and symbolism within the rites of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
  5. Participate with greater intellectual and spiritual awareness in the liturgical worship of the Church

Unit Weekly Schedule

  1. Introduction
    1. Liturgical theology and method
    2. Symbol and reality
    3. Origins and reception of the Eucharist
  2. Prothesis (Offering of the Lamb)
    1. History and theology of the rite
  3. Liturgy of the Word
    1. Early origins of the Liturgy of the Word and its development within the Coptic rite
    2. The Lectionary and its development
    3. The reception of the Gospel: homily and Gospel Response
  4. Pre-Anaphoral Rites
    1. Creed, Reconciliation Prayers, Kiss of Peace, Aspasmos hymns
  5. Anaphora of Basil
    1. Connections between Coptic Basil and other Basilian Anaphoras
    2. Theological outlook within Basil
  • Anaphora of Gregory
    • Uniqueness of Coptic Gregory being addressed to the Son
    • Theological outlook within Basil
  • Anaphora of Mark
    • Uniqueness of Egyptian anaphoras, exemplified by Mark
    • Connections between Coptic Mark and Melkite Mark
    • Theological outlook within Mark
  • Other Egyptian Anaphoras
    • Strasbourg Papyrus, Barcelong Papyrus, Dayr al-balayza Papyrus
    • Euchologion of the White Monastery
    • Anaphora of Sarapion
  • Communion and Concluding Rites
  • Commentaries on The Liturgy
    • Ethiopic Order of the Mystery
    • The anonymous Guide to the Beginners
    • Ibn Kabar’s Lamp of Darkness
    • Ibn Sibaa’s The Precious Jewel
    • Gabriel V’s Ritual Order
  • Anaphoras Beyond Egypt
    • Eastern Anaphoras: Syrian, Ethiopian, and Byzantine
    • Western Anaphoras: the Roman Canon, other Western liturgical traditions
  • Eucharistic Theology
    • The Eucharist in everyday life
    • Modern reception of the Eucharist in the Coptic Church