Liturgy stands at the intersection of ritual action, theological expression, and lived ecclesial experience. It is the locus where history and theology meet, becoming an act that is at once temporal and mystical. Inseparably bound to the history of salvation, liturgy simultaneously constitutes the Church’s continual prosphorá (offering) to God and God’s ongoing koinōnía (communion) with humanity. As such, liturgy may be approached both as a structured and inherited pattern of Christian worship and, more importantly, a communal and prayerful act through which faith is articulated, lived, and continually experienced. This encounter between history and theology opens fruitful avenues for examining how liturgical expressions undergo shifts in interpretation, adaptation, and reception across different periods, regions, and ecclesial settings. Texts, vestments, music, people, and all that is “liturgical” thus become embodied witnesses to the history and theology of Christian worship, inviting analysis and investigation for the benefit of the wider community.
The St Sarapion’s Society of Liturgy is holding its inaugural conference in Australia, which explores a wide range of themes within liturgical studies. Attendance is open to all chanters, deacons, servants, clergy, and anyone with an interest in the study of liturgy and theology.
For general attendance, register by clicking on the button below. Those wishing to submit an abstract should instead complete the form at the end of the page.
Conference Schedule
FRIDAY, 12 JUNE — Online via Zoom (6:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
6:00 pm — Welcome & Introduction to the Society · Mina Samy & Fr James Nessim
6:15 pm — An Unedited Hymn for Welcoming the Patriarch · Prof. Dr Youhanna Nessim Youssef
6:45 pm — A Perspective on Fr Matta al-Miskīn's Eucharistic Theology – Means of Divine Participation · Dr Wagdy Samir
— Break —
7:30 pm — The Cost of Understanding Schmemann in the Coptic Church · Fr Alexander Aziz
8:00 pm — The Canonicity and Mysticism of the Prayer of St Stherapou · Kyrillos Nashed
8:30 pm — Conclusion
SATURDAY, 13 JUNE — In person & online (9:00 am – 5:30 pm)
9:00 am — Housekeeping · Mina Samy & Fr James Nessim
9:10 am — Official Welcome · HG Bishop Rewis
9:25 am — Preliminary Remark · HG Bishop Kyriakos
9:45 am — Paul's Sacramental Theology · Fr Dr Daniel Fanous
10:15 am — The Coptic Melismos (Breaking Rite): Between History and Theology · Fr James Nessim
10:45 am — Hymnody as Revelation: The Theology of the Cross in the Songs of Romanos the Melodist · Dr Andrew Mellas
11:15 am — From Antioch to Malankara: The Impact of the West Syriac Liturgy in Shaping the Oriental Orthodox Faith in India · Fr Jacob Joseph
11:45 am — Lunch
12:45 pm — The Agapi Meal and the Mission of the Church · Fr Dr Anthony St Shenouda
1:15 pm — Liturgical Scholarship and Contemporary Practice · Dr Samuel Kaldas
1:45 pm — Participation in the Priesthood of Christ: The Threefold Priestly Order · Fr Dr Daniel Ghabrial
2:15 pm — Preliminary Findings on the Coptic Divine Office · Mina Samy
— Break —
3:15 pm — The Christological Strophes in the 1764 Tukhi and 1908 Labib Editions of the Coptic Psalmodia: A Comparative Study · Fr Dr Gregorios Awad
3:45 pm — The Syriac Orthodox Liturgy as Heaven on Earth: Symbolism, Mystery, and Participation in the Divine · Fr Saliba Noori
4:15 pm — In Search of Heretics: The Reception of the Council of Nicaea in Medieval Serbian Visual Culture · Fr Nebojsa Tumara
4:45 pm — Future Initiatives for the Society · Mina Samy & Fr James Nessim
SUNDAY, 14 JUNE — In person & online (1:00 pm – 6:15 pm)
1:00 pm — To Dismiss or Not to Dismiss? The Exclusion of Non-Orthodox from the Liturgy of the Faithful in Patristic and Contemporary Perspective · Sabine Van Dartel
1:30 pm — Christian Formation and Intergenerational Worship · Fr Michael Salib
2:00 pm — The Eucharist as Mystery · Fr Dr Antonios Kaldas
2:30 pm — Theology of Marriage in the Crowning Rite · Mina Gerges
— Break —
3:45 pm — Translating the Sacred: Biblical Intertextuality, Linguistic Mediation, and Theological Integrity in the Coptic Liturgy of St Basil · Samuel Mikhael
4:15 pm — The Cup of Betrothal: Sinai, Passover, and the Eucharist as Nuptial Mystery of the New Covenant · Bishoy Attia
4:45 pm — Despoiling the Egyptians: Doxology as the Goal of Origen's Theological Inquiry within the Canon of Faith · Andrew Helmy
5:15 pm — "The Liturgy after the Liturgy" — in Conversation with Coptic Conceptions of Service · Stephen Sutiono
5:45 pm — Closing Remarks · Mina Samy & Fr James Nessim