Diakonia and diaconate in the World Council of Churches

Since the World Council of Churches (WCC) was founded in 1948 both diakonia and diaconate have been on the agenda of the organisation. As time has passed the understanding of these concepts has changed, and the theological importance given to them has varied due to external and internal factors. In this article I shall describe this development. My basic hypothesis is that the reflection on diakonia and diaconate has followed two separate tracks, the first considering diakonia as inter-church aid in contexts of human need, while the entry point of the second has been the ecumenical perception of the Church's ministry and within it a possible renewal of the diaconate. It is my hypothesis that these two tracks to a large degree have not been interrelated, but have mainly been isolated from each other. In my opinion this has limited the reflection on both concepts, and consequently both have lost momentum in ecumenical theology.     

The renewal of the diaconate and the holistic mission of the Church

Research on the diaconate in recent years has provided a stimulus for discussion on possible reform and renewal of the ordained ministry. Whilst some critics see this as arising merely from an attempt at a uniformity which might further the search for unity in the Church, this article argues that there are in fact certain natural reasons for reforming the diaconate. The author focuses on the relationship of mission and diakonia and the renewal of the diaconate with each other. Though the term ‘mission’ is not often used, the article follows the central points of ecumenical missiological discussion, addressing the crucial question, ‘What is the place of diakonia and the diaconate in the holistic mission of the Church?’ There is thence a certain logic in the argument, leading to the conclusions the author finally draws.     

Research on the diaconate: a retrospective view of promise and challenge

This editorial article briefly reviews retrospectively the research undertaken by the Anglo-Nordic Diaconal Research Project (ANDREP), which has been concerned primarily with the Churches of Sweden and Norway, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Church of England, with reference to ecclesiology and praxis in other churches, and to concommitant research and ecumenical developments elsewhere, in relation to the diaconate. From the publication of the WCC Faith and Order Paper on Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (BEM, 1982) and throughout the period of the formation of the Porvoo communion of Churches, there appeared to be great promise for the renewal of the deacon's ministry. However, it became apparent that, in the Church of England at least, renewal of the diaconate was not generally regarded principally as an end in itself but as a means of advancing the cause of women's ordination to priesthood. Furthermore, mono-presbyterate and the variety of meanings given to the term ‘diakonia’ have presented a number of problems. Fundamental principles of ecclesiology pertaining to the diaconate also were – and remain – unknown or disregarded in much church practice. A number of challenges which consequently arise for the churches have been identified over time and are addressed in this issue of the International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church (IJSCC), vol. 13, no. 4 (2013), on the theme of ‘The Ministry of the Deacon in Times of Ecumenical Reconfiguration’.     

The diaconate after the signing of the Porvoo Declaration: an overview of methods and hermeneutics

This article examines development in the deacon's ministry in the Porvoo Communion. Some of the initiatives which have contributed in significant ways to the common understanding of diaconal ministry in its member churches, since the signing of the Porvoo Declaration in 1996, are presented and analysed. The main focus is on methods used and on the way material has been interpreted by the churches or their representatives. The article also considers developments on two levels: first, on methods applied specifically by the individual Porvoo member churches, when presenting and interpreting the ministry of deacons; secondly, on the presupposed understanding behind the interpretations of deacons’ ministry in the Porvoo churches as a whole. The author's interest also encompasses the way in which the churches interpret significant differences and variety in the ministry of deacons within the Porvoo Communion, and what they regard as characteristic in current developments.     

Lass die Toten ihre Toten begraben

This article presents a part of Danish church history which has previously suffered from a lack of attention: The story of homosexual pastors in Denmark. I want to show how the discussion on homosexuality and ministry ran in Denmark in the 1970's and 1980's and how homosexual pastors were integrated into the ELCD. Moreover, I will analyse this discussion material from the perspective of the German Pfarrhaustradition and point to the civil side of the Lutheran understanding of ministry – marriage and household – as a crucial reason why homosexual pastors, as well as unmarried heterosexual pastors, have been considered a theological problem. Finally, I will compare the image of the pastor in the Lutheran Pfarrhaustradition with a Catholic understanding of ministry and suggest that both set the pastor apart from the world through regulation of relationships and sexuality.     

Radical incarnation and creative ambiguity

This article examines Martin Luther's perception of gender and ministry in relation to what may be coined his radical incarnation theology, the Word incarnate in Jesus Christ, in-fleshed in human beings and in the entire material, created world, and expressed in the verbum vocale through the ministry of the word. The article aims at presenting a thorough theological analysis of seminal texts on Luther's new understanding of the ecclesial office in the dialectics of the priesthood of all believers and the ministry of the word. The article claims that Luther's new perception of ministry opened avenues for women to gain authority as preachers, but that he was pressed – partly by his peers and particularly the papal church - and chose to express his liberal ideas by way of creative ambiguity.     

Step Two: What Do You Want the Older Adult Ministry Program to Accomplish?

SUMMARY

What is the purpose for an older adult ministry within a congregation? It is not a program but a process of spiritual care, spiritual development, and spiritual formation as older adults are confronted with challenges to their spiritual perspectives due to the changes inherent in the process of aging. The experience of aging is a teacher that can be denied only with great peril to the person. Various views of aging as a spiritual journey are shared. The support and guiding of the spiritual perspectives of older adults is the core purpose for an older adult ministry in a congregation. This central purpose must be overtly expressed through the writing of a mission statement for older adult ministry that will be a yardstick not only for evaluating present ministries but also for guiding their future efforts. A simple, easy-to-use method of developing a mission statement is shared.     

“On the margins”: A dialogue with Andrew Greeley

This dialogue is between two priests who share common interests from different perspectives. One is an Episcopalian and a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. The other is a Roman Catholic and a sociologist widely known for his controversial novels and political commentaries. Their conversation primarily focuses on the latter's ministry—especially his investigations into paranormal experiences and his use of fiction as a homiletical avenue. They also discuss: Christian atheism; the Resurrection as a metaphor; Real Presence and liturgical sensibility; contemporary ecumenical trends; celibacy and tenures of active ministry; sexual equality and population control; religious addiction; and examples of the mythic impact of cinema.Diplomate of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and the Book Review Editor of thisJournal. The interview is part of a series that will be published in a volume entitledDialogues in Depth Psychology and Religion.     

Ministry as Womb and Tomb: Baptism as a Paradigm for Ministry

This article rethinks a paradigm for ministry in a world in which a culture of choice is radically challenging sacramental, baptismal theology. Drawing on the two fundamental biblical metaphors for baptism—baptism as a womb (John 3) and a tomb (Rom 6)—the article tries to reimagine ministry emerging from these two metaphors. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of developing ministry by the use of this dialectic—ministry as both womb and tomb.     

Contemporary Thinking on the Role and Ministry of Women in the Orthodox Church

The article is concerned with contemporary Orthodox thinking on the role of women in the Church. This topic is explored in the context of Orthodox theology, tradition and history. The starting point for Orthodox theology as regards the division of humanity into masculine and feminine is fundamental to understanding the Orthodox Church's view on the past, present and future role of women. In particular, the current issues of restoring the female diaconate and ordaining women to the priesthood present a significant challenge to the Orthodox Church in its understanding of the meaning of faithfulness to tradition and its discernment of the work of the Holy Spirit.     

Episcopal Applicants to Ordained Ministry: Are They Psychological Healthy?

The current investigation evaluated psychological and personality profiles of applicants to the diaconate and priesthood for several Episcopal dioceses. Applicants included both genders and their ages ranged from 29 to 67 years. A psychological testing battery including the MMPI-2, 16PF, and MCMI-III was administered to 42 applicants between 2008 and 2009 who subsequently entered the diaconate or priestly formation program in the Episcopal Church. Results indicate that these applicants were generally well-adjusted. Findings also suggest some tendency for defensiveness, repression, naïveté, and a strong need for affection, as well as for being emotionally stable, intelligent, trusting, and open to change. Finally, results suggest elevations on histrionic, narcissistic, and compulsive measures.     

The Relationship of Clergy Burnout to Self-Compassion and Other Personality Dimensions

Religious leaders often experience burnout, which is characterized by emotional exhaustion and/or low satisfaction. Clergy with high emotional exhaustion feel drained and discouraged. Clergy with high satisfaction report that the ministry gives purpose and meaning to their lives. Hierarchichal regression was used to examine if current clergy’s desire to please others, guilt or shame orientation, ability to be self-compassionate, and ability to differentiate self from role uniquely predicted variation in burnout. Although all personality dimensions explained significant variation in emotional satisfaction when examined individually, due to inter-correlations among predictors only self-compassion was significant in the full model. Higher self-compassion was also related to increased satisfaction in ministry. Increasing self-compassion may prevent clergy burnout.     

AN EASTERN ORTHODOX CRITIQUE OF THE SCIENCE–THEOLOGY DIALOGUE

On the basis of both philosophical arguments and the theological perspectives of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, a critique of two beliefs that are common within the mainstream science–theology dialogue is outlined. These relate to critical realism in understanding language usage and to naturalistic perspectives in relation to divine action. While the naturalistic perspectives on the history of the cosmos that are predominant within the dialogue are seen as generally acceptable from an Orthodox perspective, it is argued that they require theological expansion. This expansion suggests an understanding other than the “causal joint” model commonly adopted in relation to “special” divine action. This alternative model renders the distinction between “special” and “general” divine action redundant, and is based on what has been called a “teleological‐Christological” understanding of the cosmos, rooted in the fourth gospel's notion of the divine Logos. The relevance of this critique to scholars outside of the Orthodox community is urged.     

Listening to the Nos

In Re-Calling Ministry (1999), James E. Dittes offers a collection of fourteen poetic essays on the predictable crises of Christian ministry, which he treats not as impediments but as boons to that ministry. A student of Dittes' at Yale Divinity School in the 1970's, I reflect on the truth-telling of my former teacher through the lens of my own twenty years in parish ministry.     

The phenomenology and development of social perspectives

The paper first gives a conceptual distinction of the first, second and third person perspectives in social cognition research and connects them to the major present theories of understanding others (simulation, interaction and theory theory). It then argues for a foundational role of second person interactions for the development of social perspectives. To support this thesis, the paper analyzes in detail how infants, in particular through triangular interactions with persons and objects, expand their understanding of perspectives and arrive at a self–other metaperspective. This allows them to grasp the other’s as well as their own perspective as such, which is equivalent to an explicit third person perspective and to an explicit first person perspective or self-consciousness. The paper describes the major steps towards these perspectives, pointing to a close interdependence of both developments. It argues that embodied second person interactions are not only an enabling, but the constitutive condition for the development of an explicit first and third person perspective.     

The Paradigm Challenged A New Analysis of the Origin of Diakonia 1

The classical paradigm saw the apostolic and biblical age as a special moment for the diaconal ministry. The important role of the diaconal ministry continued for just a few centuries and finally withered. According to this study, the traditional outline is not historically true, or at least we need new evidence in order to argue for the biblical origin of a social-caritative diaconal ministry. Following the interpretation of New Testament texts by Luther and Calvin, the 19^th century diaconia movement projected its own life setting into the ancient texts. Thus the return to the biblical ministry of diaconia actually turned out to be a reinterpretation of biblical and early church writings. The ministry of diakonos in the early church was not invented by the modern movement, but it gave a totally new meaning to the ancient Greek concept and also launched a new way to use diakonia-derivative vocabulary.     

The Relationship Between Personality and Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction with Ministry Among Female Stipendiary Anglican Clergy in the UK

A sample of 565 female stipendiary Anglican clergy in the UK completed the short form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire together with indices of satisfaction with ministry and of dissatisfaction with ministry. The data demonstrate that satisfaction with ministry is associated with stable extraversion, while dissatisfaction with ministry is associated with toughminded neuroticism. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction with ministry are not opposite ends of the same continuum. Pastoral Theology and Mansel Jones Fellow at Trinity College     

Domestic violence and group treatment for male batterers

This paper examines the violent behavior of male batterers toward their female partners. Three major theoretical perspectives addressing the etiology of the male batterer's abusive behavior are reviewed. These perspectives, along with an understanding of personality characteristics common among batterers, offer insight into intervention and treatment options. Group intervention has proven to be the most effective form of treatment for batterers. Outcome studies suggest a decline in batterers' abusive behavior as a result of group treatment.     

Case Study on Together towards Life and Ministerial Formation

When asked over the years why I believe the World Council of Churches is so important to the life of the church, my response has been not so much because of what its programmes do but because of its work in building a common ecumenical vision and bringing the diversity of the world church around that vision. This has been so valuable in shaping the life and ministry of the church ecumenical at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries. Together towards Life gives us a fresh opportunity to do this again in the area of mission and evangelism.     

Word of God or Witness? Issues in Christian Biblical Hermeneutics

This article gives a historical overview of the main issues and problems facing Christian interpreters of the Bible. The Christian understanding of the Bible is influenced by two main factors. On the one hand, Christians believe that God revealed himself and was present in the life, ministry, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. In other words, Jesus is the one Word of God. On the other hand, Christians believe that the Bible is inspired Holy Scripture, containing the revelation of God. There is a tension between these two approaches, as one locates the divine revelation in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the other in the Holy Book. The article argues that this tension has been a major creative driving force in the history of Christian biblical interpretation. It traces the main strategies with which Christian interpreters have approached the Bible in order to reconcile these two elements, or in which they have allowed one to overrule the other. This will provide an introduction to the key approaches and methods in Christian biblical interpretation.