In this volume, scholars from a variety of backgrounds examine the role of deacons in the early church. The authors show that this is important for our understanding of how leadership structures developed in the past and for ecumenical discussions today.
In German-speaking countries, the role of the diaconate has been strongly influenced by nineteenth-century ideas of diakonia as service towards the poor. As important as the social initiatives stemming from this perspective have been, in order to correctly understand deacons and diakonia in the early church, we must go back to the sources. For this volume, focused on the first two centuries of Christianity, scholars from a range of backgrounds consider the use of diakonos and related words in the New Testament and extra-biblical sources, both Christian and otherwise. These texts reveal what deacons actually did, helping us to understand the past and giving guidance for the present, particularly in ecumenical discussions concerning the ministry.
Table of contents:
Munib Younan: Foreword
A) IntroductionBart J. Koet/Edwina Murphy/Esko Ryökäs: Assessing the Role and Function of an Assistant: The Deacon in the First Two Centuries of Christianity
B) Biblical SourcesPeter-Ben Smit: Exegetical Notes on Mark 10:42-45: Who Serves Whom? -
John N. Collins: The Rhetorical Value of Διακον- in Matthew 25:44 -
Bart J. Koet: Luke 10:38-42 and Acts 6:1-7: a Lukan Diptych on Διακονία -
Bart J. Koet: Like a Royal Wedding. On the Significance of
Diakonos in John 2:1-11 -
Joke H. A. Brinkhof: Philip, One of the Seven in Acts (6:1-6; 8:4-40; 21:8) -
Margaret Mowczko: What did Phoebe's Position and Ministry as Διάκονος of the Church at Cenchrea Involve? -
Anni Hentschel: Paul's Apostleship and the Concept of Διακονία in 2 Corinthians -
Lauri Thurén: Divine Headhunting? The Function of the Qualifications of Deacons in 1 Tim 3:8-13
C) The Earliest Christian (Extra-Biblical) SourcesJohn Granger Cook: Pliny's Tortured
Ministrae: Female Deacons in the Ancient Church? -
Bart J. Koet: The Bishop and his Deacons. Ignatius of Antioch's View on Ministry: Two-fold or Three-fold? -
John N. Collins: Διακον- and Deacons in Clement of Alexandria -
Bart J. Koet: Isaiah 60:17 as a Key for Understanding the Two-fold Ministry of Ἐπισκόποι and Διάκονοι according to First Clement (1 Clem. 42:5) -
Mark Grundeken: What Do »Deacons« Do in the
Shepherd of Hermas? -
Clayton N. Jefford: Understanding the Concept of Deacon in the
Didache -
Paul Foster: Deacons (Διάκονοι) and Dιακονία in the Writings of Justin and Irenaeus -
Serafim Seppälä: Deacons in
Acts of Thomas and Related Early Syriac Literature -
Anni Maria Laato: Tertullian and the Deacons -
Bart J. Koet: Dreaming about Deacons in the
Passio Perpetuae -
Anssi Voitila: Deacons in the Texts Contemporary with the New Testament (Philo of Alexandria and Josephus)
