Church History Module

OBJECTIVE

Students should have a basic understanding of the state of the Coptic church under the changing Islamic regime and the consequences it had on Coptic Orthodoxy.

TOPICS BY WEEK

Please read through all of the lessons in this module in preparation for this lesson.

• Week 1: Arab Conquest and Umayyads (641-750 AD)
• Week 2: The Abbasid Era (750-1258 AD)
• Week 3: The Era of the Fatimids (969-1171 AD)
• Week 4: The Eras of the Ayyubids and the Mamluks (1171-1517)
• Capstone Activity

MILESTONES

Scripture:

Students should be able to memorize the different verses and understand how they relate to the lessons given, emphasizing the resilience of Coptic Christians and their great adherence to their faith under the various trials and tribulations forced upon them by the governing Islamic regime.

Spiritual:

Students should understand that their spiritual lives are not static but dynamic ones. Being an Orthodox Christian is not a one-time occurrence, it is a daily decision to live and present the image of Christ to the world. Coptic Christians under Islamic governance faced all kinds of trials and tribulations, and instead of rising up against the regime, they put their faith in God, lived through them, and presented Christ to the world.

Social:

Students should understand that the way we get to practice our faith today is a privilege and is a result of the strength of our Coptic Christian ancestors and their devout commitment to the faith. They should understand that our role in the journey of the Coptic church is to accept the faith, protect it, and pass it on, without letting the secular world we live in alter it.

Rituals:

Students should understand the effects of the Islamic regime on the way the Coptic Orthodox church practices the faith since a lot of the reforms occurred during this era.