As I was surfing the web today I found degree programs at UNISA in Diaconiology. At UNISA you can get a Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate in it, with concentrations in Missions, Youth Work, Play Therapy and Social Work. I initially thought it was referring to the ministry of deacons, but after examining different websites it's clearly some type of pastoral care. A Canadian Reformed Church website describes diaconiology as "preaching, teaching, visiting, and so on," which sounds like practical theology tasks of a minister. UNISA also has degree programs in Practical Theology, so what in the world is diaconiology?
I just saw that a couple of days ago...I thought that maybe it was supposed to be the equiv of BDiv, MDiv, and DMin. Usually the Practical Theology is more of an analysis of what is wrong and a proposal as to how to fix it...That's what my MTH is in... But I could be wrong...
Diaconiology is interesting. It seems ministry oriented and some of its concentrations rather clinical. How do you like SATS? I've heard good things about the seminary.
Several denominations have a "diaconate" class of usually lay paraclergy that, with proper training, can do almost as much as an ordained minister, pastor or priest... that is, except for such things as administering the sacraments, etc. (and, under certain circumstances, sometimes even that, too). Such persons would typically not be the same as a deacon in a church where deacons are, typically, elders or the equivalent of board or council members that conduct the actual business of the church. Members of the kind of diaconate we're talking about here might have titles like "associate pastor" or "minister of somethingoranother," where "somethingoranother" is something like music or any of a number of specialty areas. Such persons would be seen almost more like the same kind of employee that a church's ordained paster, minister or priest would be, only with not quite as many powers. It all just depends on the structure of the church and its polity. Of course, it comes from the word "diakonia," which means "service in Christ's name." The word "deacon" derives from that word as well, but, again, the word "deacon" doesn't, in most churchs that have what is called "diaconal" class of lay ministers, mean the same thing as it does in churches that don't. There's an excellent PDF file by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that provides a history of diakonia and diaconal ministry. Click here to read it. While most ordained ministers/pastors/priests in denominations that have diaconal ministers have few problems with non-parish diakonia (in such things as special missions, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, etc.), many secretly hate it in a true parish setting. Diaconal ministers frequently know just enough to get into trouble, many of them believe, and sometimes the ordained minister/pastor/priest has to circle back around behind a diaconal minister and clean-up the mess -- hoping that not too much spiritual/emotional damage has been done. As would be expected, some denominations do diaconal ministry better and more responsibly than others. My particular denomination (ELCA) has Associates in Ministry (AIM), and various synodically-authorized ministries (and the lay personnel who run them) that can fall into the ELCA's "diaconal" class of rostered clerly or paraclergy; and it requires of its rostered diaconal ministers that they have an appropriate education and some fairly serious practical training, internship/practicum. For example, at minimum, an Associate in Ministry (AIM) must take a 20- to 26-credit-hour video tape and text book program that is administered by the ELCA's Division for Ministry (in Chicago) and its Trinity Lutheran Seminary (in Ohio). But even that is often not quite enough, and a masters degree from the seminary might be required. A local ELCA church can't just designate someone a diaconal minister. Rather, it begins with the local church pastor getting the candidate involved with the synod and going through an ELCA-prescribed, synod-constructed discernment, training, educational and call program before becoming officially rostered with the ELCA. Click here to learn more about the ELCA's diaconal ministry program. Some other denominations, I've read (and heard and observed) often aren't so careful. For those in a denomination that maybe isn't so careful -- or perhaps even in one that is -- a degree in diaconiology such as what this thread describes might be a good place to begin in order to ensure that mistakes aren't made; and that one's ministry, generally, is of sufficiently high quality. The ELCA won't admit it, of course, but if someone got UNISA's masters in diaconiology and then took the aforementioned 20- to 26-hour AIM video tape coursework to help the candidate get the ELCA Lutheran viewpoint; and then if s/he did all the other practical training and fulfilled all other requirements, I'll bet s/he could get rostered as an ELCA diaconal minister. Just a hunch.
ADDENDUM: Actually, as I think about it, a denomination with a formal diaconate ministry could still call them deacons... or at least deaconesses (in the case of women) as the ELCA sometimes does. I guess I should have worded what a wrote above a tiny bit differently with respect to the use of the word "deacon." The rest of it, though, is okay. Sorry for any confusion.
Gregg, I enjoyed that link for the history of diaconal ministry. I'm an ordained Baptist deacon, myself. The Canadian Reformed Church website says some interesting things about both diaconiology and the office of deacon. This site seems to be polity of the Dutch Reformed church in Canada: The office of deacon The specific duties of the office of deacon are to see to the good progress of the service of charity in the congregation; to acquaint themselves with existing needs and difficulties and exhort the members of Christ's body to show mercy; and further, to gather and manage the of¬ferings and distribute them in Christ's Name according to need. They shall encourage and comfort with the Word of God those who receive the gifts of Christ's love, and promote with word and deed the unity and fellowship in the Holy Spirit which the congregation enjoys at the table of the Lord Tasks of professors in training ministers: [96] Ideally, the College should have at least five teachers, corresponding with the various disciplines. There is in the first place the department of Old Testament studies, followed by that of the New Testament discipline. The doctrine of the church is another field; then there is the history and polity of the church, while the fifth discipline covers all that belongs to the work of a minister in preaching, teaching, visiting, and so on. The last-mentioned dis¬cipline is called the diaconiology. For admission to the College one has to be in possession of a qualified Bachelor of Arts degree. The course of study at the College itself covers four years. Upon successful completion of the study, the degree of Master of Divinity is conferred at the Convocation, which is usually held on the second Friday in September. http://www.kerkrecht.nl/main.asp?pagetype=onderdeel&item=107&subitem=3275&page=
I thought it was GREAT... If you do a search of my posts you'll find my comments about SATS - but just a quick review: My supervisor usually returned my emails in 1 day (sometimes 2 if they had to read a chapter that I had submitted - or if it was a weekend). I was given a great deal of freedom in approaching my topic. My supervisor might say "try this" or "include that" but if I had reservations we could always talk through it until we found a middle ground that both of us felt was appropriate. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for their 1st research degree!!!
Brad, I read your post from last month. Your SATS experience does, indeed sound great. Maybe after I finish my DMin I'll look into something from SA- -maybe a PhD in Social Work or something. Good luck with law school!
