Incarnational Exodus

A Vision for the Coptic Orthodox Church in North America Based on the Incarnational Theology of Athanasius of Alexandria

With the earliest Coptic Churches established in the North American Diaspora in Toronto (1964), Los Angeles (1969), and Jersey City (1970), a once culturally and religiously homogenous community began to face the challenges that come along with being immersed in a multi- cultural and pluralistic society.Just as Christ was incarnate into a cultural context that was foreign to His very being, so too must the Copts of Egypt become incarnate into a foreign context, making this new culture its own. Having been “called out of Egypt” to America in the 1960s, the Christians of Egypt face similar challenges as earlier Diaspora communities.The Coptic Orthodox Christians must acknowledge that having been “called out of Egypt,” their continued purpose as the body of Christ mandates a proper theology of inculturation. It is only through a life of communion with the Divine Word that the Body of Christ , filled with His love for all humankind, will continue to be incarnate so that all humanity may be deifed.