Pope Shenouda III
(1923–2012)
I want nothing of the world, for I am not of the world. I am not dust as they think, I am a divine breath. I was with God from eternity, and God placed me on the earth. But I shall leave it after a while and return to God
(Pope Shenouda III, The Release of the Spirit, 1957, ch. 14)
Biography
Pope Shenouda III (1923–2012) was the 117th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church. During his papacy he distinguished himself as a prolific writer, wildly popular preacher and fierce defender of Coptic rights (he was affectionately referred to as al-āsad al-Murqusī, the “lion of St Mark”), he remains one of the most influential and beloved figures in contemporary Coptic history.
Browse Texts on ACCOT
Bibliography
A. Works
Pope Shenouda’s literary output is staggeringly large, comprising well over a hundred books of which many were translated into English. He also wrote hundreds of articles in Coptic periodicals (chiefly al-Kiraza, which he founded) and delivered public lectures every week for virtually his entire papacy. A full list of his entire oeuvre would be a significant undertaking. A more realistic goal (and one of potentially greater academic interest) would be a chronological list of the books and articles he published at different stage of his life, i.e. as Nazir Gayyid, Fr Antonios al-Suryani and Bishop Shenouda of Education. This page will be updated as progress is made; if you would like to help, please contact us.
- In the meantime, see the English works hosted at OrthoKairos and Orthodox eBooks, and the Arabic work hosted at Coptic Treasures.
B. Further Reading
Gille, Matthias. 2017. Der koptische Papst Schenuda III: Beobachtungen zu Theologie und Biografie. Anwendungsorientierte Religionswissenschaft, vol. 11. Baden-Baden: Tectum Verlag. (Tectum Verlag)
Fernandez, Alberto Miguel. 1983. “The Coptic Orthodox Salvation Theology of Anba Shenuda III.” MA Dissertation. University of Arizona. Available online at UA Campus Repository. (PDF)
O’Mahony, Anthony. “Tradition at the heart of renewal: the Coptic Orthodox Church and Monasticism in Modern Egypt”, International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church 7, no. 3 (2007), 164–178.