The Coptic Orthodox Church teaches that each human person possesses an immortal soul created by God. After bodily death, the soul is subject to a particular judgment and enters a state of rest (for the righteous) or suffering (for sinners) while awaiting the general resurrection and the Last Judgment. The church maintains a strong tradition of prayers and liturgical commemorations for the faithful departed, especially on Saturdays and during specific memorial seasons.

The resurrection of the body is a cornerstone Coptic belief expressed in the Nicene Creed and elaborated in the teachings of St. Athanasius and other Alexandrian Fathers. Following the Last Judgment, the redeemed will enjoy eternal life in the presence of the Trinity, while those who rejected God will experience eternal separation from him. The Coptic Synaxarion (book of saints) and martyrology reflect the church's conviction that the martyrs and saints already enjoy the presence of God and intercede for the living.