Hi everyone!
I am a non-Copt graduate student in Architectural History, researching a thesis on Coptic Churches in the United States.
Right now, I seem to be focused on the creation of meaning in a physical space. Raised catholic, there was no shortage of other catholics and, subsequently, dedicated spaces to which we all went for service which were conceived and executed specifically to function as Catholic Church. But in beginning my research I've found that the same is not necessarily true for Copts in the US. There are churches purpose-built to be Coptic, churches housed in buildings that had previously functioned as other non-Orthodox churches, and churches that meet in chapels of presently non-Orthodox churches, to recite just a few of the configurations of which I'm sure you're all well aware.
My question, for any who wouldn't mind sharing, is thus: Besides the community that comes together within the space, what makes a Coptic Church a Coptic Church? In my introduction thread, several members were kind enough to supply me with excellent links about the history of Coptic architecture, but what I'm looking for now is something perhaps more ephemeral. Is it a division of space, or strictly architectural? Does it have to do with a temporary transformation (physical or spiritual) of a so-called "borrowed" or "repurposed" building? If so, what effects or assists that transformation? Is it something else entirely? Can it even really be described?
I imagine that the answer will depend on the answerer. :)
I have (still!) not attended a service, but I thought hearing some of your thoughts might give me something additional to consider when I do begin attending. And since I'm likely going to travel to visit different churches, and may therefore only get to attend service once at some locations, I'd like to know as much as possible about what I don't yet know about the Coptic experience of church architecture, beforehand.
An enormous thanks in advance to all who reply (with profusions of additional thanks to follow)!
;D
Comments
A "church", other than the physical architecture of a building, it is an assembly of people; a congregation that is there to worship the Lord. So you can have a congregation in a specific area, one part of the Church, and the Church building itself, the other part of the Church. The concept in our church is very different from the normal "chapels" that you maybe see in other protestants churches. In our Church (being the congregation and the building), almost everything that is used in worshiping (or worshiping) must be consecrated. Consecration in our Church is the process of sanctification through the Holy Spirit. We, as Coptic Orthodox Christians are consecrated (i.e. sanctified) through baptism, the first sacrament in our church.
The most prayed service in our Church is the Divine Liturgy. For it be done, you need an Altar. Being limited for enough wealth and space (sometimes time), places can be "sanctified" by something called "Holy tablet." it's just a tablet that is placed on a table or something that does look like an altar that the sacrifice can be presented upon. Since there is a sanctified Altar in a place, the whole place turns into a holy place of God; which is a Church.
Edit: the link wasn't working properly, so here one more attempt, if it doesn't work try the one beneath and just click on the name of the book
Church, House of God
other link