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→Theological disputes and the 2007 Coptic Church crisis
==Theological disputes and the 2007 Coptic Church crisis==
These have recently come to the attention of the newsmedia (see, for examplesexample, [http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=5787 1] and [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrthodoxNews/message/7104 mirror]). Pope Shenouda III is said to be totally denying
the Orthodox concept and doctrine of [[theosis]] (even the word/term), teaching instead '[[Scholastic Theology]]' doctrines (esp. in relation to redemption and [[salvation]]), and repeating arguments previously attributed verbatim to [[Nestorius]] (in relation to the [[Eucharist]], and that 'Divinity' cannot be born of the [[Virgin Mary]]). These teachings are said to be in conflict with the teachings of the Fathers, esp. [[Cyril of Alexandria|Cyril the Great]] and [[Athanasius of Alexandria]]. Pope Shenouda is also said to have recently disputed the teachings of those Fathers, their importance in Orthodox doctrine and the reliability of the currently available translations from Greek of their writings. Books like ''Achieving Your Potential in Christ: Theosis - Plain Talks on a Major Doctrine of Orthodoxy'' by the Very Rev. Fr. Anthony M. Coniaris (Edited by D. A. Riewe) would thus be against Pope Shenouda's teachings. Pope Shenouda's long theological disputes with Habib Bebawi, PhD (Cambridge), a renowned Coptic theologian specialising in patristic studies,<sup>[http://coptology.com/ Web site]</sup> and the late Father [[Matta El-Meskeen]] are well known, and many observers have attributed these to personal and political motives, rather than to any genuine doctrinal flaws or deviations from Orthodoxy in the writings of Bebawi and Matta.
