What does the Coptic Church believe about the additional books in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

The perspective of the Coptic Orthodox Church regarding the biblical canon is rooted in the ancient Alexandrian tradition.

The Coptic Orthodox Church recognizes the Deuterocanonical books (often called the Apocrypha by Protestants) as inspired and authoritative Scripture. However, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church maintains the largest biblical canon in Christendom, consisting of 81 books.

1. The Composition of the Ethiopian Canon

The Ethiopian canon is divided into the "Narrower Canon" and the "Broader Canon." It includes several books not found in the Coptic, Byzantine, or Roman Catholic canons, such as:

• The Book of Enoch (Metsihafe Henok): Highly revered in Ethiopia and quoted in the New Testament (Epistle of Jude).
• The Book of Jubilees (Kufale).
• Ethiopic Clement (Qelementos).
• Ethiopic Maccabees (Meqabyan): Distinct from the Roman Catholic/Orthodox 1, 2, and 3 Maccabees.

2. The Coptic Orthodox Position

The Coptic Orthodox Church, as the Mother Church of the See of St. Mark, typically adheres to the canon established by the early Alexandrian Fathers, most notably St. Athanasius the Apostolic.

In his 39th Festal Letter (367 AD), St. Athanasius listed the books of the Old and New Testaments. His list forms the basis of the Coptic Bible today. While the Coptic Church recognizes the Ethiopian Church as a sister Oriental Orthodox Church sharing the same Miaphysite Christology, we do not officially incorporate the uniquely Ethiopic books (like Enoch or Jubilees) into our own liturgical lectionary or sacramental life.

3. Mutual Respect and "Ecclesiastical Acceptedness"

The Coptic Church does not view the additional Ethiopian books as "heretical." Instead, we view them through the following lenses:

• Historical Inheritance: Ethiopia received these texts early in its Christian history, often translated from Greek or Syriac sources that were circulating in the early centuries.
• Edification vs. Canon: While the Coptic Church may use books like the Didascalia or the Shepherd of Hermas for spiritual edification and church order, we do not elevate them to the same "canonical" status as the Gospels or the Pentateuch. The EOTC, however, does elevate its 81 books to a uniform canonical status.
• The Lover of Mankind: Just as we chant to the Lover of Mankind in our 7 Tunes, we recognize that God’s wisdom is revealed in various ways to different nations. We respect the Ethiopian tradition as a unique expression of the same Orthodox faith.

4. Direct Comparison

| Feature | Coptic Orthodox Canon | Ethiopian Orthodox Canon |

|:--- |:--- |:--- |

| Number of Books | 73+ (Standard Orthodox Canon) | 81 Books |

| Unique Books | None | Enoch, Jubilees, Meqabyan, etc. |

| Authority | St. Athanasius' 39th Festal Letter | Synodus and Clementine literature |

Summary

The Coptic Orthodox Church remains "straightforward" regarding the truth: our canon is defined by the Apostolic tradition of Alexandria. We do not adopt the additional Ethiopian books into our Bible because our liturgical and theological framework was solidified under the Alexandrian Fathers (like St. Cyril and St. Athanasius) without them. However, we maintain full communion with the Ethiopian Church, acknowledging that its expanded canon does not contradict the core dogmas of the Orthodox faith, particularly our shared rejection of the Council of Chalcedon and our adherence to one nature for God the Word Incarnate.