Page 173 - Orthodoxy Zizioulas

T H E D E A C O N I N T H E C H U R C H
erto, however, most studies have concentrated particularly on
the development of the episcopate and the presbyterate, with
little emphasis placed on the ministry of the diaconate. For
this reason, a comprehensive reflection on the diaconate—its
historical development from apostolic and early Christian
times through the Byzantine period to the present, as well as
its spiritual dimensions and theological challenges in our
time—is of critical importance.
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