Diakonia

"Now John N. Collins has challenged the nineteenth and early twentieth century definitions and has supplied us with a whole gamet of rich associations."--Distinctive Diacarate "A significant contribution to the field of New Testament studies that is both solid and illuminating. It will clear the deck for new examinations of how the church needs to understand and order its ministry if it wishes to take the New Testament sources seriously."--John Koenig, General Theological Seminary "Challenging and thought-provoking"--Bryn Mawr Classical Review "Will be interesting for scholars of classical and early Christian writings who are concerned to trace the use of a particular word in a variety of contexts."--Theological Book Review "Collins results are doubly important: both a convincing reading of the range of meanings of these words and a clear warning against an overzealous and premature attempt to make lexical study relevant. One will learn much...from the general results and particular observations."--Patristics "A very full and thorough survey of texts drawn from pagan and rabbinic, as well as Christian literature that might throw light on what the early Christians really meant by diakonia and its derivatives....The author combines the virtue of detailed scholarship with a vision for the future....Students will be grateful for the author's solid and illuminating survey of the various meanings givenin New Testament times and just after to the term diakonia, and may be encouraged to apply these in the church today."--Theology "This is a challenging book....Collins raises important questions about how we understand the diakon- words....Though it may alter some routinely accepted expositions of our time, Collins' scholarship could also enrich and expand current understandings and expectations of ministry."--Lutheran Partners