The XXXVIII Incontro (meeting) was held

and addressed the topic:

(en italiano: scatti sopra il titolo)

In recent years important philological research has revealed previously unacknowledged semantic aspects of the Greek term diakonßa and cognates. These have stimulated research on early Christian literary sources in regard to church, ministry and the diaconate. Recently, other important studies have explored obscure or disputed aspects of the origins and development of the diaconate. These have included investigations into sequential ordination - the cursus honorum - and early deaconesses.

Given these ongoing developments and in order to understand the functions of the diaconate in the early church, the following questions require further investigation: What was the role of the deacon inside and outside of the liturgy? In what ways were deacons the "eyes and ears" of the bishop? What were the differences in the ways diaconal ministries were exercised in different geo-graphical regions and in the various patriarchates? What roles did deaconesses play in the life of the church? Research on these questions should include a renewed consideration of the phenomenon of diaconiae in Rome and elsewhere, new examination of early church orders, further exploration in patristic sources relating to diÜkonoò. These investigations should also extend to the diverse fields of inscriptions, iconography, archaeology and liturgy. Other insights might arise from a re-investigation of early relationships between synagogue and church.

Investigation of this topic requires contributions from scholars from different disciplines. Three macro-areas for contributions have been identified as relevant:

a) Philology (including literary texts and epigraphical data along with their proper semantic and linguistic contexts for interpretation);

b) Archeology (including monuments and their functions relative to this theme, along with iconographical and iconological data);

c) Religion (including liturgical and non-liturgical functions of deacons and deaconesses).

Contact address:

       Segreteria Incontri Augustinianum

       Via Paolo VI, 25

       00193 Roma, Italia

       Fax +39.06.68006298

       E-mail: incontri@patristicum.org

The Organising Committee of the XXXVIII Incontro di Studiosi dell'Antichità Cristiana 2009

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