Deacons and Deaconesses Through the Centuries

This book traces the history of deacons and deaconesses from the first century to the present creating an important resource for understanding the modern diaconate.

Deacons and Deaconesses through the Centuries is comprehensive denominationally and geographically, drawing on sources from Europe, America, and the world that previously have not been brought together in one book. This ecumenical study covers the restoration of the permanent diaconate after World War II, the rise of international diaconal associations, and deacons as a topic of interchurch dialogues such as the Lutheran-Reformed and the Lutheran-Episcopal.