The Coptic Rite of Matrimony: A Study of its History and Theology

The Coptic Orthodox Rite of Matrimony is not a single fixed text handed down unchanged through the centuries. It is the product of a long and layered history, shaped by manuscript traditions, shifting pastoral practices, and the lived worship of the Church across different times and places.

In this study, Nicolas Mourad traces the historical development of the marriage rite through direct comparison of manuscript sources, from early Bohairic texts to modern printed editions. The work covers the full range of matrimonial rites: engagement, betrothal, crowning, the removal of the crowns, the prayer for the bride after forty days, and second marriage. By examining textual variants, obsolete prayers, and ritual elements no longer in common use, the book documents how each rite evolved and how distinct liturgical traditions intersected over time.

The study does not stop at historical analysis. Each section examines the theological content embedded in the prayers and ritual actions, exploring their scriptural foundations and their bearing on the Church's understanding of sanctification, covenant, and Christian family life.

The book also includes critical editions reconstructed from earlier manuscript witnesses for each of the major rites discussed, giving readers direct access to how these rites may have been celebrated in specific historical contexts.

For clergy, liturgical scholars, theological students, and lay readers with a serious interest in the Coptic Church's sacramental tradition, this is the first comprehensive study of one of its most important and least examined rites.

a.Nicolas Mourad is a researcher of Coptic Orthodox liturgy whose theological studies and personal interest in liturgical history have led him to focus particularly on the matrimonial rite of the Coptic Orthodox Church. He is a cardiac surgery resident at the University of British Columbia and serves at St. Mark & St. Philopateer Coptic Orthodox Church in Vancouver, Canada.