James Monroe Barnett

"The Diaconate: A Full and Equal Order," was written by the late James Monroe Barnett (1925-2013), who for many years was rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Norfolk, Nebraska, and who was considered quite knowledgeable on the subject of deacons. It is described on the title page as "a comprehensive and critical study of the origin, development, and decline of the diaconate in the context of the Church's total ministry and the renewal of the diaconate today with reflections for the show more twenty-first century." It could go without saying that that covers quite a lot. I should note here that Barnett drew distinctions between the transitional diaconate (those who become deacons en route to becoming priests) and the vocational or permanent diaconate (deacons who serve in some capacity, often without compensation, as examples of the love of Christ for others). Most of his emphasis was on the latter.

And as the title implies, Barnett emphasizes that deacons are not merely sub-priests, but rather a full and equal order of Church clergy, along with presbyters (priests) and the episcopate (bishops), with each of the three orders having differing roles. The first part of the book focuses on the history of deacons, starting with the very earliest times of the Christian Church. This history really is an important foundation to understanding the modern day diaconate, since it helps the reader to more clearly grasp many of the things that deacons do, and perhaps even more importantly, to understand what deacons should do. As Barnett moved into more modern periods, he elaborated on various roles and relationships of deacons in more contemporary times , examples of types of ministries they might serve, etc. He even included examples of letters of agreement that a deacon might use with a priest and his bishop. I think all of this would help anyone seeking a better understanding of the diaconate, most especially for anyone who is considering becoming a deacon.

Barnett did not limit his coverage of the diaconate to just the Episcopal Church, but rather he included equally extensive material on the Roman Catholic Church relative to deacons, along with occasional bits related to other denominations and with periodic comparisons of the Eastern and Western practices. As such this book provides good information for multiple denominations, and it also is a good reference for anyone studying Church history.

If there is anything that I found lacking, there were a few topics where illustrations might have added even more value to the book. For example, timelines would help keep some of the events of the Church in their relative chronological relationships. Another example would be including some pictures of the various vestments, which would be especially helpful for anyone not familiar with the different garments and terms. These would have been icing on an already very good cake.

Overall, I recommend "The Diaconate: A Full and Equal Order" to anyone wanting to know more about the diaconate or Church history, but especially to anyone who might consider becoming a deacon. show less

An outstanding exploration of a subject much neglected before this seminal work