Pope Mark VII : Arabic letters to Count von Zinzendorf and Yohannes III, Metropolitan of Abyssina : with the 'Sermon on the True Faith' in an Appendix

English summary: This book is the first to publish and annotate three letters written in Arabic by the Coptic Pope, Mark VII (1769). They are part of a series of correspondence between Mark VII and the Moravian Church, which was active in Egypt between 1752 and 1783. The author presents the background to this correspondence, including the Moravian Church's eventual failed mission in Ethiopia, in introductory chapters. The letters reflect the initial contact between the Moravian and Coptic Churches and provide insights into Mark VII's relationship to the Moravians and other Christian denominations. The latter aspect can also be identified in Mark VII's homily on true faith, which is published in an edited form in the book's appendix. German description: Das Buch bietet die erstmalige kommentierte Edition dreier von dem koptischen Papst Markos VII (?1769) auf Arabisch verfasster Briefe. Sie sind Teil der Korrespondenz zwischen Markos VII und der Herrnhuter Brudergemeine, die von 1752 bis 1783 in Agypten aktiv war. Die Hintergrunde dieser Korrespondenz - u.a. die letztendlich gescheiterte Athiopien-Mission der Herrnhuter - werden in einleitenden Kapiteln dargelegt. Die Briefe reflektieren den ersten Kontakt zwischen den Herrnhutern und der Koptischen Kirche und geben Einblicke in das Verhaltnis von Markos VII zu den Herrnhutern und zu anderen christlichen Konfessionen. Letzterer Aspekt ist auch in Markos' Homilie uber den wahren Glauben, die in einem Anhang ediert wird, zu erkennen. Preface Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. The historical context 2.1 The Herrnhut Brethren 2.2 The Coptic Church up to the 18th century 2.3 Ethiopia up to the 18th century 2.4 The relinquished mission to Abyssinia and the sojourn in Egypt 3. Pope Mark VII, the 106th Patriarch of Alexandria (Pope from 1745 to 1769) 4. Other central figures 4.1 Nikolaus Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf (1700–1760) 4.2 Friedrich Wilhelm Hocker (1713–1782) 4.3 Yohannes III (d. 1761) 5. State of research, sources and methods 5.1 State of research 5.2 Sources and methods 5.3 Brief linguistic notes 6. Critical edition and commentaries 6.1 R.17.B.7.b.2 6.1.1 Critical edition and translation 6.1.2 Commentaries 6.2 R.17.B.7.b.3 6.2.1 Critical edition and translation 6.2.2 Commentaries 6.3 R.17.B.7.b.4 6.3.1 Critical edition and translation 6.3.2 Commentaries 7. Conclusions Bibliography 1. Sources 2. Literature Appendices Appendix I – List of manuscripts in sections R.17.B.7.b and R.17.B.7.c of the Unitätsarchiv at Herrnhut Appendix IIa – R.17.B.7.b.2 Appendix IIb – R.17.B.7.c.9 Appendix IIc – R.17.B.7.c.10 Appendix IIIa – R.17.B.7.b.3 Appendix IIIb – R.17.B.7.c.11 (recto) Appendix IIIb – R.17.B.7.c.11 (verso) Appendix IIIc – R.17.B.7.c.13 (recto) Appendix IIIc – R.17.B.7.c.13 (verso) Appendix IVa – R.17.B.7.b.4 (recto) Appendix IVa – R.17.B.7.b.4 (verso) Appendix IVb – R.17.B.7.c.3 Appendix V – Edition of the ‘Sermon on the True Faith’