Serving on Bended Knee, Serving on Tiptoe

The History and Future of the Diaconal Movement in the United States

Abstract

Taking cues from their sisters in Europe, Lutheran deaconesses in the United States created a ministry that emphasized care of the soul through care of the body. They wrapped this ministry in a distinctive lifestyle wherein deaconess sisters remained single, wore a prescribed garb, and lived together in community, depending on that community for their earthly needs. By the middle of the twentieth century, it became clear that women remained committed to the biblical mandate of care but questioned the unique lifestyle. The twenty-first century has witnessed several Lutheran groups re-create the diaconal office in new and expansive ways.