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Title: Deaconesses in Europe

and their Lessons for America
Author: Jane M. Bancroft
Release Date: March 6, 2007 [EBook #20747]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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DEACONESSES IN EUROPE
AND
THEIR LESSONS FOR AMERICA

JANE M. BANCROFT, Ph.D

WITH AN INTRODUCTION
BY
EDWARD G. ANDREWS, D.D., LL.D.
_Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church_

"No life
Can be pure in its purpose and strong in its strife,
And all life not be purer and stronger thereby."

_NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON_
_CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & STOWE_
1890

IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION,
TO
THE EARNEST AND DEVOTED WOMEN WHO,
AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON DEACONESS WORK
OF
THE WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY,

HAVE AIDED IN EXTENDING THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIACONATE

OF WOMEN,

THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY

Dedicated

BY THE AUTHOR.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

The Author has aimed to present an accurate and concise statement of the

deaconess cause as it exists at the present time.

In all cases where it was possible, original sources of information have

been consulted.

Many friends, both in Europe and America, have given invaluable aid, for

which words of thanks are an inadequate recognition.

The excellent Index at the close of the volume was kindly prepared by

the Rev. J. C. Thomas.

Acknowledgments are also due to Mr. Gillett, Librarian of the Union
Theological Seminary, and to Mr. C. H. A. Bjerregaard, of the Astor
Library, for putting not only the facilities of the library, but their
personal assistance, at the service of the writer.

JANE M. BANCROFT.

NEW YORK CITY, _June 5, 1889_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

THE DIACONATE.

Compassion a Christian virtue--Brotherhood of all men in
Christ--Foreign Missions--Home Missions--Service of
ministering compassion gives rise to the diaconate--Diaconate
of women--Its qualities--Field of labor

Page 9

CHAPTER II.

DEACONESSES IN THE EARLY CHURCH.

Little knowledge of early Church--Pliny's letter--Apostolic
Constitutions--Deaconesses, widows, and virgins--Duties of the
deaconess--Chrysostom, Olympias--Deaconesses in Western
Church--Decline in importance--Extinction--Influences that led
to decay

CHAPTER III.

DEACONESSES FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURIES.

B guines--Characteristics--Duties--Gerhard Groot--Sisters of

�

the Common Life--Obligations--Duties--Waldenses--Bohemian
Brethren--Luther--Calvin--Reformed Church at Wesel--
Deaconesses in Amsterdam--Damsels of Charity--Mennonites and
Moravians

CHAPTER IV.

FLIEDNER, THE RESTORER OF THE OFFICE OF DEACONESS.

Efforts for the restoration of the office of deaconess made by

Kl nne--Amalie Sieveking--Von Stein--Count von der Recke--

�

Fliedner--His childhood--Youth--Student life--Pastorate and
travels--Marriage--First prison society--Founding of refuge--
Need of training schools--Rhenish-Westphalian Deaconess
Society

CHAPTER V.

THE INSTITUTIONS AT KAISERSWERTH.

Opening of hospital training-school--Gertrude Reichardt--The
Home-life--Normal school--Fliedner's wife--Publishing house--
Orphan asylum--Insane asylum--Dispensary--Farm--"Salem"--House
of Evening Rest--Extension of work--Berlin--Foreign lands
Jerusalem--Beirut--Smyrna--Bucharest--Florence--Rome