Theological Aspects of Creation in the Texts of the Liturgies of the Coptic Orthodox Church

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to conduct a theological analysis of the texts of the Liturgies of the Coptic Church, based on the well-known manuscripts and rites of the Liturgies of St. Peter. St. Basil the Great, St. Mark and St. Gregory the Theologian. The purpose of the Coptic Church was to explain the teaching to its children in its simple content that the relationship of man with God in prayers and church sacraments is the relationship between the «Source», that is, God, and his «image and likeness», that is, man. Thus, the Christian faith has become in its essence — through this pedagogy — a school of prayer and communication in the divine life through the incarnation of the Word. The Liturgy provided the doctrinal foundations for explaining the truth, as it clarified the indissoluble connection between creation, incarnation, redemption and salvation, conveyed to us the spirit of the entire new Testament and presented the reasons for the incarnation of the Word and everything He did during His incarnation. Thus, the rites and Liturgies dictated an approach to the explanation of the doctrine, which emphasized that man is the image of God and a creation for the sake of divine communion. Thus, the analysis of the theology of creation is the initial stage in the analysis of the theology of the Coptic Liturgy. The article also uses a comparative analysis of translations in Russian, Arabic and Coptic languages, which will reveal the terminological features of a particular tradition, and also contributes to the further development of theological dialogue between Churches.