The Living Spirit of Nicaea symposium, hosted by St Athanasius College from 20–22 June, brought together 143 participants for a dynamic gathering of theological insight and ecumenical dialogue. The symposium opened with a warm message from His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, while special guest, His Grace Bishop Kyriakos from the Greek Orthodox diocese of Melbourne offered an inspiring address on Saturday morning—each reinforcing a spirit of unity that echoed throughout the weekend.
Keynote speakers Professor Sebastian Brock (Oxford) and Professor Peter Bouteneff (St Vladimir’s Seminary, New York) brought depth and insight in their keynote addresses on the Nicene Creed in Syriac and the significance of the term enanthropēsanta. They were joined by 16 national and 3 international presenters, including emerging Coptic scholars, whose contributions explored Nicaea’s enduring legacy from historical, theological, liturgical, iconographic, and contemporary social perspectives. As Fr Daniel Ghabrial, Principal of St Athanasius College, aptly noted, “We can all say that SAC has made an important contribution to celebrate Nicaea. The level of scholarship was so wonderful.” The success of the symposium was made possible by the tireless work of Dr Lisa Agaiby, Fr Dr Shenouda Boutros, Fr James Nessim, and Fr Michael Salib with a team of volunteers, whose seamless organisation made the event both scholarly and warmly welcoming.
St Athanasius College is a college of the University of Divinity from the Coptic Orthodox tradition, based in Melbourne, Victoria.
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University of Divinity
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