[1] The encyclopedia was written by over 250 Western and Egyptian contributing experts in the field of Coptology, history, art and theology and was edited by Aziz Suryal Atiya.
[2] Atiya developed the vision to publish an encyclopedia during the years he taught at the Middle East Center of the University of Utah.
The Coptic community in the West played a role in increasing Western interest in Egyptian church life.
[2] Coptic Orthodox Church leader Pope Shenouda III himself contributed to the entry about emigration.
[2] In 2009, the Claremont Graduate University (CGU) School of Religion acquired the right to develop an updated and continuously expanding and evolving web-based version of the Coptic Encyclopedia.