Lived Theology for the Church in North America
Diakonia is essential to the church’s mission and ministry in North America. Such is the premise of “Revitalizing the Church through Diaconal Studies in North American Theological Education,” a research project of Warburg Theological Seminary. A four person leadership team (Craig Nessan, Man Hei Yip, Darryl W. Stephens, and Lori Mills-Curran) met monthly from April 2021 to 2024 to envision, plan, and carry out this collaboration involving 21 scholars and reflective practitioners spanning six continents.
Ecumenical diakonia encompasses Christian motivated social service, community development, justice, and human rights. The goal of diaconal ministry is to empower individuals and communities through God to become the agents of change in their own communities for the flourishing of all creation.
This exploration of diakonia expands horizons ecumenically and supports the emergence of diaconal studies as a field of study in North America. Diaconal studies is an existing field of study in other parts of the world, notably in Scandinavia and Germany. Now, North American seminarians and church leaders can benefit from this history of vitalizing and revitalizing the church’s ministry in the world, placing the “diaconate of all believers” alongside the “priesthood of all believers” as integral aspects of discipleship.
Participants are catalyzing an ecumenical, lived theology for the revitalization of the church. By working together through a collaborative methodology, they model the spirit of diakonia with each other through presentations and writings. Participants stir each other’s imagination by speaking from their own contexts about the meaning and purpose of the diaconate and writing constructively about the transformative potential of diakonia for the church today.
The Book
Diaconal Studies: Lived Theology for the Church in North America was published by Regnum Books International in October 2024. For details, click here.
Funding
“Revitalizing the Church through Diaconal Studies in North American Theological Education” is a project of Wartburg Theological Seminary and is supported by grants from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation and the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.
Ecumenical Documents
The Oxford Centre for Mission Studies publishes books of exceptional quality, some of which are available free for personal use.
Lutheran World Federation. Diakonia in Context: Transformation, Reconciliation, Empowerment: An LWF Contribution to the Understanding and Practice of Diakonia. Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, 2009.
Lutheran World Federation. Mission in Context: Transformation, Reconciliation, Empowerment: an LWF Contribution to the Understanding and Practice of Mission. Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, 2004.
World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance. Called to Transformation: Ecumenical Diakonia. Geneva: WCC Publications, 2022.
Books on Ecumenical Diakonia
Ampony, Godwin, Martin Büscher, Beate Hofmann, Félicité Ngnintedem, Dennis Solon, Dietrich Werner, eds. International Handbook on Ecumenical Diakonia: Contextual Theologies and Practices of Diakonia and Christian Social Services – Resources for Study and Intercultural Learning. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2021.
Beros, Daniel, Eale Bosela, Lesmore Ezekiel, Kambale Kahongya, Ruomin Liu, Grace Moon, Marisa Strizzi, Dietrich Werner, eds. International Handbook on Creation Care and Eco-Diakonia: Concepts and Theological Perspectives of Churches from the Global South. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2022.
Dietrich, Stephanie, Knud Jøregensen, Kari Karsrud Korslein, and Kjell Nordstokke, eds. The Diaconal Church. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2019.
Dietrich, Stephanie, Knud Jøregensen, Kari Karsrud Korslein, and Kjell Nordstokke, eds. Diakonia as Christian Social Practice: An Introduction. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2014.
Dietrich, Stephanie, Knud Jøregensen, Kari Karsrud Korslein, and Kjell Nordstokke, eds. Diakonia in a Gender Perspective. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2016.
Dowsett, Rose, Isabel Phiri, Dawit Olika Terfassa and Hwa Yung, eds. Evangelism and Diakonia in Context. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2016.
Haugen, Hans Morten, Benedicte Tveter Kivle, Tony Addy, Terese Bue Kessel, John Klaasen, eds. Developing Just and Inclusive Communities: Challenges for Diakonia / Christian Social Practice and Social Work. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2022.
Nessan, Craig L., and Darryl W. Stephens, eds. Diaconal Studies: Lived Theology for the Church in North America. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2024.
Journals
Diaconia: Journal for the Study of Christian Social Practice. https://www.vr-elibrary.de/journal/diac.
Special issue: “The Future of Diaconal Ministry.” Currents in Theology and Mission 42, no. 3 (July 2015).
Special issue: “Diakonia as Mission.” Currents in Theology and Mission 52, no. 2 (April 2025).
Special Issue, “Diaconia and Christian Social Practice in a Global Perspective,” Religions 2023.