Moral Disenchantment and Self-Reckoning Among Coptic Activists in Post-Revolutionary Egypt

Join us for a compelling conversation with Fouad Halbouni, adjunct faculty of anthropology.

15 years after the Egyptian revolution and its turbulent aftermath, Halbouni traces the stories of Coptic activists striving to lead meaningful moral lives amid intense and unpredictable political repression. Halbouni explores how these activists navigated the aftermath of a failed revolution and grappled with a Church they viewed as overly aligned with the state, prompting them to cultivate new forms of moral striving.

Through these experiences, Halbouni shows how activists forged intricate pathways of moral self-refashioning—developing modes of self-critique and reflective practice shaped by their revolutionary participation, both within political movements and as individuals. Rather than framing the revolution solely in terms of political outcomes, this talk highlights moments of moral disenchantment, critique and repair, revealing how revolutionary engagement endures through the everyday moral labor that follows.