See also:

• DEACONESS (i7 &locovos or &aKhvuraa, servant, minister)

DEACONESS (i7 &locovos or &aKhvuraa, servant, See also:

• MINISTER (Lat. minister, servant)

minister)  , the name given to a woman set apart for See also:

• SPECIAL

special service in the See also:

• CHRISTIAN
• CHRISTIAN, WILLIAM (1608-1663)

Christian See also:

• CHURCH
• CHURCH (according to most authorities derived from the Gr. Kvpcaxov [&wµa], " the Lord's [house]," and common to many Teutonic, Slavonic and other languages under various forms—Scottish kirk, Ger. Kirche, Swed. kirka, Dan. kirke, Russ. tserkov, Buig. cerk
• CHURCH, FREDERICK EDWIN (1826-1900)
• CHURCH, GEORGE EARL (1835–1910)
• CHURCH, RICHARD WILLIAM (1815–189o)
• CHURCH, SIR RICHARD (1784–1873)

Church . The origin and See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early See also:

• HISTORY

history of the See also:

• OFFICE (from Lat. officium, " duty," " service," a shortened form of opifacium, from facere, " to do," and either the stem of opes, " wealth," " aid," or opus, " work ")

office are veiled in obscurity . It is quite certain that from the 3rd See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century onward there existed in the Eastern Church an See also:

• ORDER
• ORDER (through Fr. ordre, for earlier ordene, from Lat. ordo, ordinis, rank, service, arrangement; the ultimate source is generally taken to be the root seen in Lat. oriri, rise, arise, begin; cf. " origin ")
• ORDER, HOLY

order of See also:

• WOMEN

women, known as deaconesses, who filled a position analogous to that of deacons . They are quite distinct from the somewhat similar orders of " virgins " and " widows," who belonged to a See also:

• LOWER

lower See also:

• PLANE

plane in the ecclesiastical See also:

• SYSTEM

system . The order is recognized in the canons of the See also:

• COUNCILS

councils of See also:

• NICAEA, COUNCIL OF
• NICAEA, or NICE

Nicaea (325) and See also:

• CHALCEDON
• CHALCEDON, COUNCIL OF

Chalcedon (451), and is frequently mentioned in the writings of See also:

• CHRYSOSTOM

Chrysostom (some of whose letters are addressed to deaconesses at See also:

• CONSTANTINOPLE
• CONSTANTINOPLE, COUNCILS OF

Constantinople), See also:

• EPIPHANIUS, SAINT (c. 315-402)

Epiphanius, See also:

• BASIL (Russ. VASILY)

Basil, and indeed most of the more important Fathers of the 4th and 5th centuries . Deaconesses, upon entering their office, were ordained much in the same way as deacons, but the ordination conveyed no sacerdotal See also:

• POWERS, HIRAM (1805-1873)

powers or authority . Epiphanius says quite distinctly that they were woman-elders and not priestesses in any sense of the See also:

• TERM

term, and that their See also:

• MISSION

mission was not to interfere with the functions allotted to priests but simply to perform certain offices in connexion with the care of women . Several specimens of the ordination service for deaconesses have been preserved (see See also:

• CECILIA, SAINT

Cecilia See also:

• ROBINSON, EDWARD (1794–1863)
• ROBINSON, HENRY CRABB (1777–1867)
• ROBINSON, JOHN (1575–1625)
• ROBINSON, JOHN (1650-1723)
• ROBINSON, JOHN THOMAS ROMNEY (1792–1882)
• ROBINSON, MARY [" Perdita "] (1758–1800)
• ROBINSON, SIR JOHN BEVERLEY, BART
• ROBINSON, SIR JOSEPH BENJAMIN (1845– )
• ROBINSON, THEODORE (1852-1896)

Robinson, The See also:

• MINISTRY

Ministry of Deaconesses, See also:

• LONDON

London, 1878, appendix B, p . 197) . The functions of the See also:

• DEACONESS (i7 &locovos or &aKhvuraa, servant, minister)

deaconess were as follows: (1) To assist at the See also:

• BAPTISM

baptism of women, especially in connexion with the See also:

• ANOINTING

anointing of the See also:

• BODY

body which in the See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient Church always preceded See also:

• IMMERSION (Lat. immersio, dipping),

immersion; (2) to visit the women of the Church in their homes and to See also:

• MINISTER (Lat. minister, servant)

minister to the needs of the sick and afflicted; (3) according to the See also:

• APOSTOLICAL

Apostolical Constitutions they acted as See also:

• DOOR (corresponding to the Gr. Bbpa,. Lat. fores or valvae; the English word, with other forms common in allied languages, comes from the same Indo-European stem as the Gr. Obpa and Lat. fares)

door-keepers in the church, received women as they entered and conducted them to their allotted seats . In the Western Church, on the other See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand, we hear nothing of the order till the 4th century, when an See also:

• ATTEMPT (Lat. adtemptare, attentare, to try)

attempt seems to have been made to introduce it into See also:

• GAUL
• GAUL, GILBERT WILLIAM (1855— )

Gaul . Much opposition, however, was encountered, and the See also:

• MOVEMENT

movement was condemned by the See also:

• COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council of See also:

• ORANGE
• ORANGE (Citrus Aurantium)
• ORANGE, HOUSE OF

Orange in 441 and the council of Epaone in 517 .

In spite of the See also:

• PROHIBITION (Lat. prohibere, to prevent)

prohibition the institution made some headway, and traces of it are found later in See also:

• ITALY
• ITALY (Italia)

Italy, but it never became as popular in the See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

West as it was in the See also:

• EAST
• EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

East . In the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle ages the order See also:

• FELL
• FELL, JOHN (1625-1686)

fell into See also:

• ABEYANCE (O. Fr. abeance, " gaping")

abeyance in both divisions of the Church, the See also:

• ABBESS (Lat. abbatissa, fem. form of abbas, abbot)

abbess taking the See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place of the deaconess . Whether deaconesses, in the later sense of the term, existed before 250 is a. disputed point . The See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence is scanty and by no means decisive . There are only three passages which See also:

• BEAR
• BEAR, BLACK
• BEAR, BROWN
• BEAR, GRIZZLY
• BEAR, ISABELLINE
• BEAR, WHITE

bear upon the question at all . (i) See also:

• ROMANS
• ROMANS, EPISTLE TO THE

Romans xvi . 1 : See also:

• PHOEBE

Phoebe is called i) &6.Kopos, but it is quite uncertain whether the word is used in its technical sense . (ii) 1 Tim. iii . 11: after stating the qualifications necessary for deacons the writer adds, " Women in like manner must be See also:

• GRAVE

grave—not slanderers," &c.; the Authorized Version took the passage as referring to deacons' wives, but many scholars think that by " women " deaconesses are meant . (iii) In See also:

• PLINY, THE ELDER
• PLINY, THE YOUNGER

Pliny's famous See also:

• LETTER (through Fr. lettre from Lat. littera or litera, letter of the alphabet; the origin of the Latin word is obscure; it has probably no connexion with the root of linere, to smear, i.e. with wax, for an inscription with a stilus)

letter to See also:

• TRAJAN [MARCUS ULPIUS TRAJANUS] (A. D. 53-117)

Trajan respecting the Christians of See also:

• BITHYNIA (BtOvpta)

Bithynia mention is made of two Christian maidservants " quae ministrae dicebantur "; whether ministrae is See also:

• EQUIVALENT

equivalent to & eovo , as is often supposed, is dubious . On the whole the evidence does notseem sufficient to prove the contention that an order of deaconesses—in the ecclesiastical sense of the term—existed from the apostolic See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age . In See also:

• MODERN

modern times several attempts have been made to revive the order of deaconesses .

In 1833 Pastor Fleidner founded " an order of deaconesses for the Rhenish provinces of See also:

• WESTPHALIA (Ger. Westfalen)
• WESTPHALIA, TREATY OF

Westphalia " at See also:

• KAISERSWERTH

Kaiserswerth . The See also:

• ORIGINAL

original aim of the institution was to See also:

• TRAIN (M. Eng. trayn or trayne, derived through Fr. from Late Lat. trahinare, to drag, draw, Lat. trahere, cf. trail, trace, ultimately from the same source)

train nurses for See also:

• HOSPITAL (Lat. haspitalis, the adjective of hospes, host or guest)

hospital See also:

• WORK

work, but its See also:

• SCOPE (through Ital. scopo, aim, purpose, intent, from Gr. o'KOaos, mark to shoot at, aim, o ic07reiv, to see, whence the termination in telescope, microscope, &c.)

scope was afterwards extended and it trained its members for teaching and See also:

• PARISH (Gr. irapouda, district, neighbourhood; 7r&poucos, one dwelling near or beside, from crap&, OtKOS, house; Lat. paroecur, Late Lat. parochia; cf. Fr. paroisse)

parish work as well . Kaiserswerth became the See also:

• PARENT, SIMON NAPOLEON (1855– )

parent of many similar institutions in different parts of the See also:

• CONTINENT (from Lat. continere, "to hold together "; hence " connected," " continuous ")

continent . A few years later, in 1847, See also:

• MISS

Miss Sellon formed for the first See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time a sisterhood at See also:

• DEVONPORT
• DEVONPORT, EAST

Devonport in connexion with the Church of See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England . Her example was gradually followed in other parts of the See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country, and in 1898 there were over two thousand women living together in different See also:

• SISTERHOODS (MODERN ANGLICAN)

sisterhoods . The members of these institutions do not represent the ecclesiastical deaconesses, however, since they are not ministers set apart by the Church; and the sisterhoods are merely voluntary associations of women banded together for spiritual fellowship and See also:

• COMMON

common service . In 1861 See also:

• BISHOP (A.S. bisceop, from Lat. episcopus, Gr. irio-Korros, " overlooker " or " overseer ")
• BISHOP, ISABELLA (1832-1904)
• BISHOP, SIR HENRY ROWLEY (1786-1855)

Bishop See also:

• TAIT, ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL (1811-1882)
• TAIT, ARTHUR FITZWILLIAM (1819-1905)
• TAIT, PETER GUTHRIE (1831-1901)

Tait set apart Miss See also:

• ELIZABETH
• ELIZABETH (1533-1603)
• ELIZABETH (1596-1662)
• ELIZABETH (1635–1650)
• ELIZABETH [ AMELIE EUGENIE ] (1837—1898)
• ELIZABETH [1lisabeth Philippine Marie Helene of France] (1764—1794)
• ELIZABETH [PAULINE ELIZABETH OTTILIE LOUISE] (1843– )
• ELIZABETH [PETROVNA] (1709-1762), EMPRESS
• ELIZABETH, SAINT (1207-1231)

Elizabeth Ferard as a deaconess by the laying on of hands, and she became the first See also:

• PRESIDENT (Fr. president, from Lat. praesidens, post-Augustan Lat. for praeses, director, ruler, from praesidere, to sit in front of, preside)

president of the London Deaconess Institution . Other dioceses gradually adopted the innovation . It has received the See also:

• SANCTION (Lat. sanctia, from sancire, to decree or ordain)

sanction of See also:

• CONVOCATION
• CONVOCATION (Lat. convocatio, a calling together)

Convocation, and the See also:

• LAMBETH

Lambeth See also:

• CONFERENCE

Conference in 1897 declared that it " recognized with thankfulness the revival of the office of deaconess," though at the same time it protested against the indiscriminate use of the See also:

• TITLE (0. Fr. title, mod. titre, from Lat. titulus)

title and laid it down emphatically that the name must be restricted to those who had been definitely set apart by the bishop for the position and were working under the See also:

• DIRECT

direct supervision and See also:

• CONTROL (Fr. contrdle, older form contre rolle, from Med. Lat. contra-rotulus, a counter roll or copy of a document used to check the original; there is no instance in English of the use of " control " in this, its literal, meaning)

control of the ecclesiastical authority in the parish . In addition to Miss Robinson's See also:

• BOOK

book cited above, see Church Quarterly See also:

• REVIEW (Fr. revue, from revoir, to see again, Lat. re and videre)

Review, xlvii . 302 if., See also:

• ART

art . " On the Early History and Modern Revival of Deaconesses " (London, 1899), and the See also:

• WORKS

works there referred to; D .

Latas, Xptonavuc) 'Apxaioaoyia, i . 163-171 (See also:

• ATHENS
• ATHENS ['AN vat, Athenae, modem colloquial Greek `Ath va]

Athens, 1883) ; Testamentum Domini, ed . Rahmani (See also:

• MAINZ (Fr. Mayence)

Mainz, 1899) ; L . Zscharnack, Der Dienst der Frau in den ersten Jahrhunderten der chr . Kirche (1902) .