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Diakonia: Today's Task1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2009

Hans Christoph von Hase
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Extract

In spite of all the gaps in the Church's tradition, it has become clear how strong the continuity of creed and liturgy, even of office and law, has been through the centuries.2 The history of diakonia, however, presents a strangely divergent picture. Admittedly Christ's command of love has been proclaimed in an unbroken line, but the actual loving deeds of the Church, their forms and institutions, show a striking discontinuity. Diakonia will break out with charismatic vigour and direct men for centuries to new ways of service, then it suddenly collapses and only a few venerable ruins remain. This has little to do with favourable or unfavourable political conditions. Diakonia never blossomed more richly than in the times of persecution under a Decius or Diocletian; and the Church was never relieved of more service than under Christian rulers through the secularisation of the West in recent centuries. Either it proves itself man's true help in time of need, or it dies a quick death (cf. Matt. 5.13).

Type
Research Article
Information
Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , March 1967 , pp. 57 - 74
Copyright
Copyright © Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 1967

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References

page 57 note 2 Meinhold, P. and Roegele, O., Christenheit in Bewegung, 1964, p. 6.Google Scholar

page 58 note 1 Janssen, L. H., These Cities Glorious, New York, 1963, p. 110.Google Scholar

page 58 note 2 Cf. T.W.N.T. V, Paroikos.

page 58 note 3 Merzyn, F., Das Recht der EKD, p. 4.Google Scholar

page 60 note 1 Cf. Krimm, H. (ed.), Das Diakonische Ami der Kirche, 1965Google Scholar, and Krimra, H. (ed.), Quellen tur Geschichte der Diakonie I, 1960, pp. 40–108.Google Scholar

page 60 note 2 Verhandlungen der Evgl. General-Synode zu Berlin, 1846.

page 61 note 1 Krimm, H. (ed.), Quellen, II, Nr 174–177, 183–5.Google Scholar

page 62 note 1 ibid., I, p. 70f, cf. too, Schneemelcher, W., in Das Diakonische Amt der Kirche, pp. 61ff.Google Scholar

page 65 note 1 Cf. von Hase, H. C., ‘Der freiwillige Heifer’, in Die Innere Mission, 1965, pp. 1–20.Google Scholar

page 70 note 1 von Hase, H. C. (ed.), Diakonie der Gemeinde, Arbeitsbuch der Nächstenhilfer, I (1961), II (1964)Google Scholar; Dietrich, O., ‘Stewardship’, and Berg, C., ‘Das Diakonat als Lebensfunktion der Kirche’, in Das Diakonische Amt, first ed. 1953Google Scholar; Noske, G., Wicherns Plan einer kirchlichen Diakonie (1952).Google Scholar

page 71 note 1 Hooft, W. A. Vissert', (ed.), New Delhi 1961, pp. 103–129, 253–71.Google Scholar

page 72 note 1 A beginning was made with three ecumenical consultations: ‘The role of institutional Christian social service in present society’, Geneva, 1961; ‘The role of the Churches in social service, an international perspective’, Mülheim, 1962 (published by Dept. of Social Welfare NCCC, USA, ed. Whiting, Henry J.)Google Scholar; ‘The role of the diaconia of the church in contemporary society’, Geneva, 1965 (ed. Division of Interchurch Aid, World Council of Churches, Geneva, 1966)Google Scholar. Reports in German: von Hase, H. C., Diakonie als oekumenische Aufgabe, I (1961), II (1963), III (1966)Google Scholar.

page 73 note 1 Eisan, L.: Pathways of Peace, 1948, p. 296f.Google Scholar