The Arabic Nicaea Corpus of the Coptic Church in the Macarius Collection

An Introduction to the Corpus with reference to its Islamic milieux

Abstract

This study examines the Corpus of Nicaea within the Macarius collection as a testimony to the circulation and adaptation of canons and doctrinal texts across confessional boundaries. The compilation incorporates Syriac, Melkite, and Coptic materials, reflecting the exchange of canonical and theological traditions among Oriental Churches; notably, even the filio-que, absent from Coptic doctrine, appears in the Coptic recension. The enduring significance of the canons of Nicaea and the Creed is highlighted by their preservation in multiple versions within the Macarius collection and the emphasis on ecclesiastical unity in the introduction to the Coptic version of the  Creed. Additional texts, including the eighty-four Ps.-Nicaea canons and the four Books of Kings, were attributed to Nicaea to confer a sacred origin on civil law within the Islamic milieu. Despite layers of textual rewriting and expansion, Syriac, Melkite, and Coptic elements remain discernible, alongside clear Islamic influences in vocabulary and legal formulation, underscoring the dynamic interplay of religious and cultural factors in the transmission and adaptation of canonical texts.