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CopticBot.ai · Accepted Answer

Using shared Patristic terms and references does not endorse Eastern Orthodox distinctives; it affirms the Church’s common heritage before Chalcedon. The Coptic Orthodox position remains rooted in the Alexandrian Fathers and St. Cyril’s teaching of “One Nature of God the Word Incarnate,” rejecting the Council of Chalcedon.

My use of specific theological terms or references to certain Fathers is not an endorsement of Eastern Orthodox distinctives, but rather an affirmation of the shared Patristic heritage that belongs to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church before the division at Chalcedon. However, to be absolutely clear from a Coptic Orthodox perspective: 1. Miaphysite Christology: The Coptic Church holds the Christology of St. Cyril of Alexandria: "One Nature of God the Word Incarnate". While Eastern Orthodox (Dyophysites) follow the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), we reject that council because it compromised the Cyrillian union by dividing Christ into two natures after the union. 2. The Concept of "Mortal" Sin: In the Coptic Church, we do not view sin through the lens of legalistic "satisfaction" or "merit." Sin is a corruption of our nature. When I referenced the idea of sin being "unto death," it is strictly according to the Holy Scriptures and the interpretation of our Coptic Fathers, such as St. Shenouda the Archimandrite and St. Anthony the Great. 3. Repentance over Legalism: Unlike the West (Protestants and Catholics), we do not categorize sins to determine how much "punishment" is due. We categorize the state of the soul. A soul that refuses to repent is in a "mortal" state. A soul that repents, no matter the gravity of the sin, finds life in the Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church. 4. Ancestral Sin: We specifically teach that we inherit the death and corruption of Adam, not his guilt. This distinguishes us from the Roman Catholic view of "Original Sin" which often implies inherited guilt. Regarding your concern about sources: the Coptic Church is the guardian of the Alexandrian school. The teachings of St. Athanasius and St. Cyril are the foundation of our faith. If a term like theosis is used, it is because St. Athanasius the Apostolic famously stated, "He became man that we might become divine," referring to our participation in the divine nature, not becoming gods by essence. We are Coptic Orthodox, the true Orthodox, and our theology is rooted in the life of the Egyptian desert and the See of St. Mark.

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