Between the sacerdotal or mystical and the ministerial: Deaconesses in the Orthodox Church

Abstract

Recent archaeological discoveries in Israel of what appear to be tombs of deaconesses, as well as the ordination of a woman deacon in Africa, have coincided with a renewed reflection in the Orthodox Church on the nature of the communion/parish in Christ. This reflection necessarily implies a reassessment of the relationship between the sacral and ministerial in its visible and non-visible aspects. In the Orthodox tradition and contemporary Orthodox theology, the priestly function or character is directly related to the communion understood as a gathering of love in Christ.
Contribution: The study offers some brief suggestions to relieve the possible tension regarding the existence of deaconesses in the church by demonstrating that there is interaction between the sacral and ministerial without necessarily merging the two, and that this is the way forward for further reflection on deaconesses.