Diakonia

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Under Diakonie ( ancient Greek διακονία Diakonia , service ', see. Also διάκονος diakonos , servant') refers to all aspects of service to the people in the church setting. As a separate term for the perception of social responsibility by the Protestant churches in the context of their own institutionalized social services, it only became established in the 20th century.

The commandment to love one's neighbor , as formulated in the double commandment of love , is the theological basis of diakonia . So it aims to stand by people in their need and to give them the help they need. The Catholic theology used to refer to the active charity and  charity that borrowed from the Latin word charity and so referred to the social service ministries and associated institutions (see. German Caritas Association , the Caritas Austria , the Caritas Switzerland ). Diakonia (service) is considered to be one of the essential features ( basic functions ) of the church , along with the proclamation (ancient Greek μαρτυρία martyría ) and the organization of divine services (ancient Greek λειτουργία leiturgía ) .

Organizations that are dedicated to diaconal service are often referred to as diakonia in the Protestant sector (see Diakonie Deutschland - Evangelischer Bundesverband / Diakonisches Werk , Diakonie Österreich and Sozialdiakonie in Switzerland as umbrella organizations, but also Diakonie de La Tour , Bergische Diakonie Aprath , Immanuel Albertinen Diakonie etc.).

term

Diakonie goes back to the Greek word diakonía (service). Like diákonos (servant, from which deacon was derived) it is a noun of the verb diakonéo (serve). As a German word, it was first coined in the 19th century by Johann Hinrich Wichern , who defined diakonia as "diaconia directed towards the poor". This was preceded by the establishment of the office of deaconess by Theodor Fliedner and the renewal of the diaconate by Wichern. In the 19th century, however, the German-speaking Protestant churches almost consistently used Inner Mission as a programmatic term for what was called “ charitable activity” ( Caritas ) in earlier times . It was not until the second half of the 20th century that “diakonia” and the derived adjective “diakonian” became established as a program term for the social action of the Protestant churches that grew out of Christian faith.

Biblical basics

In the New Testament, the word group διαϰονία, διάϰονος, διαϰονεῖν occurs in three different meanings: in the original sense as a material service such as was performed at the table (e.g. Acts 6,2  EU ), as the service of Jesus Christ to the world ( e.g. Mt 20.28  EU ) as well as, derived from it, as the service of the faithful followers e.g. B. “by the word” ( Acts 6,4  EU ) and “of reconciliation” ( 2 Cor 5,18  EU ).

According to the account of the Acts of the Apostles, the quorum of the seven deacons was installed in the early church in Jerusalem ( Acts 6 : 1-6  EU ). The diakonia (in the sense of caring for needy parishioners) had until then been in connection with the meal meetings of the parish (cf. the "summaries" Acts 2.42  EU ; 4.32–37 EU ; 5.1–11 EU ) and belonged to the management tasks of the " twelve ", but was then, as a not only a subordinate or secondary task, assigned to the "seven" elected by the community, according to Paul Philippi, presumably together with the responsibility for all locally bound management tasks.

The biblical evidence for the obligation to diakonie includes the parable of the Good Samaritan ( Lk 10.30  EU ), in which spontaneous emergency aid was given without considering one's own risk and breaking ethnic and religious boundaries, and the figurative speech of the Last Judgment in Mt 25 , 31–46  EU with the decisive statement "What you did to one of these least of these brethren, you did it to me." ( Mt 25,40  LUT )

history

Old church

Even at the end of the apostolic era, caring for the weak was considered a characteristic of Christian communities, which also earned them respect and credibility in the pagan environment. Diakonia, as a characteristic of the new religion of love, promoted the rapid expansion of Christianity during the period of persecution . The deacons , who administered the poor fund, and the widows and deaconesses , who were mainly responsible for caring for the elderly and the sick, were among those responsible for the diaconal work . Emperor Constantine provided the church with donations for its diaconal work and entrusted it with social tasks. The district founded by Basil the Great at the gates of Caesarea with diverse institutions for poor relief and its rule of the order laid the basis for the monasteries as centers of diaconal activity. In the west, the rule of the order of Benedict of Nursia was formative with its command to support the sick and travelers.

middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, which was marked by massive impoverishment and increasing begging , the monasteries initially remained the main bearers of Christian charity. With the cluniac reform the office of an infirmiarius was established. In the high and late Middle Ages, further diaconal institutions emerged: the knightly hospital orders of the Crusades ( Johanniter 1099, Templar Order 1119, German Order 1191) as well as religious brotherhoods in the flourishing cities, which committed to mutual welfare (burial, nursing, old age pensions) and above also maintained hospitals , for example . To Leitgestalten were Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Francis of Assisi , who embodied the ideal of sacrifice and self-giving joy to the sufferer.

reformation

Martin Luther's justification theological approach redefined diaconal action as an expression of Christian freedom . Since the existing diaconal institutions could no longer fulfill their tasks, he created a model of Lutheran social teaching with the Leisniger caste order in 1523 . However, the institution of the communal poor fund soon became the responsibility of the bourgeois congregations. Johannes Calvin renewed the ecclesiastical diaconal office within the framework of his doctrine of four offices, so that in the reformed area diakonia remained more closely linked to the parishes.

Modern times

By the pietism in the 18th century, the Institution was Diakonie (v. A. August Hermann Francke Francke Foundations ) created, but also renews the community Diakonie (v. A. Moravian Church , John Frederick Oberlin ). With the revival movement and the new social form of the association , the charitable activity took a strong boom. Leading figures in Protestant Germany were next to Fliedner and Wichern z. B. Wilhelm Löhe and Friedrich von Bodelschwingh the Elder . From 1849 the Central Committee for the Inner Mission ensured organizational cohesion . At the same time, in the 19th century, new charitable women's orders (so-called merciful sisters ), the Kolping work , diaconal initiatives supported by laypeople such as the Vincent associations and finally in 1897 the Charitas Association for Catholic Germany, from which the German Caritas Association emerged, emerged in the 19th century .

During the Weimar Republic , Inner Mission and Caritas were integrated into state social policy. This led to numerous diaconal institutions taking part in the so-called euthanasia program during National Socialism . After the Second World War, Eugen Gerstenmaier founded the Evangelical Relief Organization in addition to the existing Inner Mission in order to anchor diakonia more strongly as a congregational task again; Both works were united in 1957 initially at the regional church level, since 1957 in the Diakonisches Werk , the predecessor of Diakonie Deutschland . Since the late 1960s, Protestant social ethics moved the concept of social or social diakonia, which refers to the human being in his institutional existence, to the center of its considerations. At the same time, the expansion of the welfare state brought a strong professionalization of diaconal work.

Characteristics of diakonia

From the theological point of view, diakonia is primarily anchored at the parish level; it is "presence of the worship community in the social field of reference." This is especially true for day care centers, visiting services, nursing homes, and - until the beginning of the 1990s - care services, which often were of "community nurses" often it Deaconess provided were. While the nursing services (diakonie and social stations) have mostly only been part of district church or independent diaconal organizations since around 1990, this has been the case for advice centers and larger support funds for some time.

Central organizational services are more likely to be performed by the regional church diaconal organizations. Hospitals and other social institutions have always been located in independent diaconal organizations, whereby the legal form of the non-profit GmbH is now often chosen.

In the area of ​​collective labor law, the Church Employee Representation Act applies , a law which - against the background of the so-called "third way" in individual labor law - regards the service community as determining, essentially aims at a negotiation process and therefore - in comparison to the Works Constitution Act (BetrVG) - provides for further rights of employee representation; For example, termination is only permitted with the consent of the employee representative.

Diaconal organizations

The tasks of the Diakonie in the church context take on charitable organizations in addition to the engagement in the communities. In the Protestant context in particular, these organizations often have the word “Diakonie” or “Diakonisch” in the organization name, such as Diakonisches Werk, Diakonie Deutschland, Diakonie-Krankenhaus or Immanuel Diakonie. In contrast, in the Catholic context, the word Karitas ('charity') is the namesake of comparable organizations such as Caritas Internationalis or the German Caritas Association. In the Protestant churches, diaconal institutions are seen as “the expression of life and essence of the churches”, which “fulfill the church-diaconal purposes and tasks as active charity as anchored in their statutes”. In their cooperation with the welfare state, Diakonie and Caritas have somewhat different emphases; Catholic organizations are committed to the principle of subsidiarity , while Protestant organizations emphasize "the idea of ​​ecclesiastical autonomy and the principle of the individual citizen's freedom of choice in a pluralistic community".

The term "Diakonie" is often used in short for the Diakonische Werke and their social institutions in Germany, the Diakonie Austria and diaconal institutions in Switzerland. In Germany, the Diakonisches Werk is supported by the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), its member churches, the Old Catholic Church and several Evangelical Free Churches . There are traditionally the following fields of work:

  • Institutional diakonia (hospitals, institutions for people with disabilities, deaconess mother houses, deacon institutions).
  • Home education, as an offer for "neglected" children and adolescents, is a classic area of ​​Protestant diakonia, which is currently in the process of realigning.
  • Elderly care (residential and nursing homes for senior citizens), here too a transition from inpatient to outpatient offers such as B. Meals on wheels .
  • Day care centers (kindergartens, crèches, crèches).
  • Community diaconia, often carried out by city ​​missions .
  • Advisory services.
  • Pastoral care for special groups, e.g. B. Seafarers' and inland navigation missions, holiday pastoral care.
  • Ecumenical diakonia (church emergency aid programs, e.g. disaster relief, and development aid, e.g. literacy programs); Carriers are e.g. B. Bread for the World , Overseas Services , Evangelical Central Agency for Development Aid , Church Development Service . On the Catholic side, the aid agencies Misereor and Adveniat correspond . The Joint Conference Church and Development is a forum for ecumenical coordination in development aid .
  • The International Association for Mission and Diakonia serves the international exchange ; there are also relationships with the Lutheran World Federation and with the development services of the World Council of Churches .

The Roman Catholic equivalent is Caritas . In addition, there are even more specific church aid organizations or aid organizations that focus on specific groups of people and problem areas. The Immanuel Diakonie , which is particularly active in Berlin and Brandenburg, occupies a special position . It was founded by the Berlin-Schöneberg Baptists, but also cooperates with the two large churches.

See also

literature

  • Gottfried Hammann: The history of Christian diakonia. Practiced charity from ancient times to the time of the Reformation. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2003, ISBN 3-525-52191-X .
  • Paul Philippi, Pieter Johan Roscam Abbing, Jürgen Albert and others:  Diakonie I. History of Diakonie II. Theological basic problems of Diakonie III. Diakonia / Diakonik IV. Fields of work of today's diakonia V. Training and advanced training . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 8, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008563-1 , pp. 621-683.
  • Heinrich Pompey (ed.): Caritas - The human face of faith. Ecumenical and international impulses for a diaconal theology. Echter, Würzburg 1997, ISBN 978-3-429-01950-1 .
  • Reinhard Turre: Diakonik. Foundation and organization of diakonia. Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn 1991, ISBN 3-7887-1316-X .
  • Gerhard K. Schäfer, Theodor Strohm: Diakonie - biblical foundations and orientations. Carl Winter, Heidelberg 1998, ISBN 3-8253-7094-1 .
  • Hermann Steinkamp : Diakonie - hallmarks of the community. Draft of a practical theological theory. Lambertus, Freiburg 1985, ISBN 3-7841-0284-0 .
  • Uwe Becker (Hrsg.): Perspectives of Diakonie in social change . Neukirchener Verlagsgesellschaft, Neukirchen-Vluyn 2011, ISBN 978-3-7887-2517-4 .

Web links

Commons : Diakonie  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Diakonie . In: Brockhaus Encyclopedia in Twenty-Four Volumes - Study Edition . 20th edition. tape 5 . Brockhaus Verlag, Leipzig, Mannheim 2001, ISBN 3-7653-2415-9 , pp. 456 .
  2. ^ Reinhard Turre : Diakonie. In: Evangelisches Soziallexikon . New edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2001, pp. 267-276, here pp. 267 f.
  3. ^ Peter Bartmann: Diakonie. In: Evangelisches Staatslexikon . New edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2006, pp. 368-374, here p. 368 f.
  4. ↑ Hanna Roose:  Charity - 2.2. The double commandment of love (Lk 10:27) and the parable of the good Samaritan (Lk 10:30-37). In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (eds.): The scientific biblical dictionary on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart February 2017., accessed on August 2, 2020.
  5. ^ Pieter Johan Roscam Abbing:  Diakonie - II. Theological basic problems of diakonia . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 8, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008563-1 , p. 644.
  6. ^ Diakonia . In: Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 3 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2009, ISBN 978-3-451-22100-2 , p. 184 : “Diakonia ( ancient Greek διακονία diakonía , service [at the table]) forms alongside martyria (proclamation), leiturgia (worship) and the like. Koinonia (community building) one of the basic functions of Church."
  7. ^ AR Talbert: Diakonie - I. biblical - 1. Meaning of the term . In: Heinzpeter Hempelmann , Uwe Swarat , Roland Gebauer, Wolfgang Heinrichs, Christoph Raedel, Peter Zimmerling (eds.): ELThG² - Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation . 1st edition. tape 1 . SCM R.Brockhaus, Witten 2017, ISBN 978-3-417-26801-0 , p. 1414 .
  8. ^ Johann Hinrich Wichern: Expert opinion on the Diakonie and the Diakonat (1856). In: Ders .: Complete Works. Vol. III / Part 1. Lutherisches Verlagshaus, Berlin and Hamburg 1968, pp. 130–184, here p. 130.
  9. ^ Peter Bartmann: Diakonie. In: Evangelisches Staatslexikon . New edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2006, pp. 368–374, here pp. 368 f .; Paul Philippi :  Diakonie - I. History of Diakonie . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 8, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008563-1 , p. 621.
  10. ^ Fritz Laubach : Diakonie . In: Helmut Burkhardt , Uwe Swarat , Otto Betz , Michael Herbert , Gerhard Ruhbach , Theo Sorg (eds.): Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation . 2nd Edition. tape 1 . R. Brockhaus Verlag, Wuppertal, Zurich 1998, ISBN 978-3-417-24674-2 , p. 1415 f .
  11. ^ Fritz Laubach : Diakonie . In: Helmut Burkhardt , Uwe Swarat , Otto Betz , Michael Herbert , Gerhard Ruhbach , Theo Sorg (eds.): Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation . 2nd Edition. tape 1 . R. Brockhaus Verlag, Wuppertal, Zurich 1998, ISBN 978-3-417-24674-2 , p. 430 : “In the Acts of the Apostles it is documented that the early church in Jerusalem - like the contemporary Jewish. Congregations - has supported its needy members materially from the start. Acts 6 : 1-6  EU reports in the context of a dispute over widow care in the community of the appointment of seven tried and tested men specifically for this task. Since the church father Irenaeus (Haer. 1,26,3 et al.) The hour of birth of the orderly and institutionally structured help of the church, the 'diaconate', is seen here. "
  12. ↑ Irenaeus : Cerinthus, the Ebionites and Nicolaitans. In: Against the Heresies (Contra Haereses), 1.26.3. Church Fathers Library , 200, accessed July 27, 2020 .
  13. ^ Antonius Kuckhoff:  Summaries. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (eds.): The scientific Bibellexikon im Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2014-93., Accessed on August 2, 2020. “The New Testament exegesis understands summaries in the narrower sense to mean the collective reports of the Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles . "
  14. ^ Paul Philippi:  Diakonie - I. History of Diakonie - 2. New Testament models . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 8, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008563-1 , p. 621.
  15. ↑ Anni Hentschel:  Serving / Servant (NT) - 2. Services in the New Testament - 2.1. Mission, service, office (διακονέω and its derivatives). In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (eds.): The scientific biblical lexicon on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart December 2008., accessed on July 27, 2020. “For a commitment to charitable aid in following Jesus, the verb used in Mt 25.44  EU . "
  16. ↑ Benedict of Nursia : Saint Benedict Rule - Chapter 36: The sick brothers. In: Èulogos IntraText. Èulogos SpA, accessed on August 2, 2020 .
  17. ↑ Benedict of Nursia : Saint Benedict Rule - Chapter 53: The reception of the guests. In: Èulogos IntraText. Èulogos SpA, accessed on August 2, 2020 .
  18. ^ Reinhard Turre : Diakonie. In: Evangelisches Soziallexikon . New edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2001, pp. 267-276, here p. 269; Ralf Dziewas: Diakonie - II. Church history . In: Heinzpeter Hempelmann , Uwe Swarat , Roland Gebauer , Wolfgang E. Heinrichs , Christoph Raedel , Peter Zimmerling (eds.): ELThG² - Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation . 1st edition. tape 1 . SCM R.Brockhaus, Witten 2017, ISBN 978-3-417-26801-0 , p. 1417–1420, here 1417 . ;
  19. ^ Paul Philippi :  Diakonie - I. History of Diakonie . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 8, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008563-1 , pp. 630-631 .; Ralf Dziewas: Diakonie - II. Church history . In: Heinzpeter Hempelmann , Uwe Swarat , Roland Gebauer , Wolfgang E. Heinrichs , Christoph Raedel , Peter Zimmerling (eds.): ELThG² - Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation . 1st edition. tape 1 . SCM R.Brockhaus, Witten 2017, ISBN 978-3-417-26801-0 , p. 1417-1420, here 1417-1418 .
  20. ^ Paul Philippi :  Diakonie - I. History of Diakonie . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 8, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008563-1 , pp. 631-633 .; Reinhard Turre : Diakonie. In: Evangelisches Soziallexikon . New edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2001, pp. 267–276, here pp. 269 f .; Ralf Dziewas: Diakonie - II. Church history . In: Heinzpeter Hempelmann , Uwe Swarat , Roland Gebauer , Wolfgang E. Heinrichs , Christoph Raedel , Peter Zimmerling (eds.): ELThG² - Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation . 1st edition. tape 1 . SCM R.Brockhaus, Witten 2017, ISBN 978-3-417-26801-0 , p. 1417–1420, here 1418 .
  21. ^ Paul Philippi :  Diakonie - I. History of Diakonie . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 8, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008563-1 , pp. 635-641 .; Reinhard Turre : Diakonie. In: Evangelisches Soziallexikon . New edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2001, pp. 267–276, here pp. 270 f.; Ralf Dziewas: Diakonie - II. Church history - 5. In the 19th century . In: Heinzpeter Hempelmann , Uwe Swarat , Roland Gebauer , Wolfgang E. Heinrichs , Christoph Raedel , Peter Zimmerling (eds.): ELThG² - Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation . 1st edition. tape 1 . SCM R.Brockhaus, Witten 2017, ISBN 978-3-417-26801-0 , p. 1418 f .
  22. ^ Paul Philippi :  Diakonie - I. History of Diakonie . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 8, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008563-1 , pp. 641-642 .; Reinhard Turre : Diakonie. In: Evangelisches Soziallexikon . New edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2001, pp. 267–276, here pp. 271 f.; Ralf Dziewas: Diakonie - II. Church history - 5. In the 19th century . In: Heinzpeter Hempelmann , Uwe Swarat , Roland Gebauer , Wolfgang E. Heinrichs , Christoph Raedel , Peter Zimmerling (eds.): ELThG² - Evangelical Lexicon for Theology and Congregation . 1st edition. tape 1 . SCM R.Brockhaus, Witten 2017, ISBN 978-3-417-26801-0 , p. 1420 .
  23. ^ Richard Boeckler: Art. Diakonie . In: Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon , 3rd edition, Volume 1/2, pp. 850–859, here p. 851.
  24. ↑ 6.4 EKD Assignment Act (ZuOG-EKD). In: Canon Law online reference work. November 12, 2014, accessed November 7, 2018 .
  25. ^ Richard Boeckler: Art. Diakonie . In: Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon , 3rd edition, Volume 1/2, pp. 850–859, here p. 856.
  26. ^ Richard Boeckler: Art. Diakonie . In: Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon , 3rd edition, Volume 1/2, pp. 850–859, here pp. 852 f.
  27. ↑ a b c d Richard Boeckler: Art. Diakonie . In: Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon , 3rd edition, Volume 1/2, pp. 850–859, here p. 853.
  28. ^ A b Richard Boeckler: Art. Diakonie . In: Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon , 3rd edition, Volume 1/2, pp. 850–859, here p. 854.
  29. ^ Richard Boeckler: Art. Diakonie . In: Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon , 3rd edition, Volume 1/2, pp. 850–859, here p. 855.