--- title: "Very Rev. Fr Rafael Iskander’s successful completion of the Doctorate in Theology · St Cyril’s" url: https://stcyrils.edu.au/news/very-rev-fr-rafael-iskanders-successful-completion-of-the-doctorate-in-theology description: "On behalf of the whole college community, we would like to extend our congratulations to the Very Rev. Fr Rafael Iskander, Vice Chair of the St Cyril’s…" --- 1. [Home](https://stcyrils.edu.au/) 2. [News](https://stcyrils.edu.au/news) # Very Rev. Fr Rafael Iskander’s successful completion of the Doctorate in Theology 26 February 2026 ![Very Rev. Fr Rafael Iskander’s successful completion of the Doctorate in Theology](https://stcyrils.edu.au/_image?href=https%3A%2F%2Fstcyrils.edu.au%2F_emdash%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2F01M5HJA0W6QKHSYPE9KZS80N4B.jpg&w=1000&h=1000&f=webp&fit=cover&position=center) On behalf of the whole college community, we would like to extend our congratulations to the Very Rev. Fr Rafael Iskander, Vice Chair of the St Cyril’s College Council, on the successful completion of his Doctorate in Theology. Fr Rafael’s thesis, titled _The Alexandrian Pneumatology and its Copto-Arabic Reverberations in the Theology of Bishop Būlus al-Būshī_ was undertaken at the AUCD under the supervision of the Very Rev. Prof. Fr Doru Costache. This fascinating thesis explores the lineage of Alexandria Pneumatology, tracing its articulation from St Clement through to the Arabic middle-ages. In doing so, Fr Rafael explicates the enduring legacy of the early patristic figures within the Coptic Orthodox Church, and thus demonstrates the unbroken continuity of faith, despite the socio-linguistic transformations experienced by Egyptian Christians. We feel that Fr Rafael has shone a light on a very important and often overlooked aspect of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Congratulations Abouna! ## More from the College * [2 September 2026Unveiling Paul](https://stcyrils.edu.au/news/unveiling-paul) * [14 August 2026Sacred Hospitality with Fr Stephen Muse, PhD](https://stcyrils.edu.au/news/sacred-hospitality-with-fr-stephen-muse-phd) * [9 June 2026Enrolments for Semester 2 are now open!](https://stcyrils.edu.au/news/enrolments-for-semester-2-are-now-open-2) --- St Cyril’s Coptic Orthodox Theological College · 6/252–254 West Street, Carlton NSW 2218, Australia · +61 2 9546 6411 · registrar@stcyrils.edu.au Site guide for AI agents: https://stcyrils.edu.au/llms.txt