Egyptian Canadian coptologist, author and scholar (1922–2006)
Fayek Matta Ishak (October 29, 1922 – October 30, 2006) was an Egyptian Canadian coptologist, author and scholar. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of Coptologia Publications, a journal into Coptic Thought and Spirituality. He was also the author and publisher of the first English translation of the Liturgy of St. Basil (4th century) into Jamesian English (1611) from Arabic at the request of Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria.
Early life.
Ishak was born in the heart of the Nile Delta in Godayida Sharkia, Egypt. During his youth studies at Cairo University, his colleague Father Antonios, who would later become Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria, sought him out in order to translate his JK-Gr 12 composition of Sunday school lessons from Arabic into English. These lessons have been utilized for decades across North American Coptic churches.
Professional works.
Prof. Ishak is internationally recognized as a researcher and publisher on Coptology, and is credited for raising awareness of Coptic Orthodoxy in North America. Adjacent to his journal Coptologia, which had contributions from renowned Coptologists such as Aziz Suryal Atiya, Otto Meinardus and Iris Habib Elmasry, he also wrote numerous books and countless articles on Coptic theology, heritage and mysticism.
Reference Listings.
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