What is the stance of the Coptic Church on symbolism?

The answer

Although St. Clement of Alexandria was the first Christian author to suggest using symbols, the Church of Alexandria did not adopt many symbolic pictures or images such as the Good Shepherd and Christ knocking on the door. Rather, the church used these symbols in decorating the iconostasis, the church pillars, walls and ceilings, and in iconography.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volume 1, Books 1–3. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.