About me

I am an Egyptian (Coptic) Orthodox Christian, and by God’s grace also the author of “Orthodox Afterlife: 2,000 Years of Afterlife Experiences of Orthodox Christians and a Biblical and Early Christian View of Heaven, Hell, and the Hereafter.” (Visit OrthodoxAfterlife.com for more information)

As a tonsured reader in the Coptic Church, I was ordained with the responsibility of being “an illumined light on a tower” to “fill and satisfy” others from that which I read in the Holy Bible.  In order to ensure that this rite was not done in vain, I take it seriously and am utilizing this blog as a means of meeting this role, so that it was not some empty gesture performed by the bishop long ago, but a real duty fulfilled. It’s not that this tonsuring imbued me with some additional amount of credibility, but I hope that the bishop’s prayer to God for me did not reach deaf ears: “Accept Your servant, reader in Your church. Grant him Your truth and reverence in his worship of You … graciously fill him with every wisdom of understanding to read your divine saying. Protect him from error in his worship. Perfect him in Your talents.”

At present, I am an avid student of Orthodox Christian history and theology, and serve in the Coptic Diocese of the Southern U.S.A. in various capacities with my local parish and directly with the bishop of the diocese, H.G. Bishop Youssef, on various diocese projects. I currently am priveleged with the blessing of serving as the Senior Production Manager of the new, formal publishing arm of the Southern Diocese, the St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey Press (stmabbeypress.com).

After completing my undergraduate studies at Emory University, I received my Juris Doctorate degree and have been practicing law for about a decade. I employ the research, analysis, and writing skills I’ve learned over the years in school and in work to assist me in finding and assessing the Orthodox Christian sources from which I derive posts.  I do not claim to have answers generated from just my own contemplation of biblical text or simply personal opinion, but rather strive to always share what other trusted Orthodox Christian sources have said or written regarding the particular subject of my post.

I immigrated to the U.S.A. with my family when I was about four years old and have spent most of my life attempting to acclimate to the world around me while remaining true to my religious convictions. Having faced much opposition to my beliefs directly and indirectly, I have expended great effort learning why I believe what I believe.  This became especially important after a life changing event that brought me back to God after nearly losing my soul to this world some time ago.

I intend to blog about the world from an Orthodox Christian perspective, relying on the Holy Bible, Orthodox theology, as well as Orthodox Christians who are wiser than I am (past and present). Some of my blog posts will come from lectures delivered at my local parish.