Customer Reviews

Today's Deacon: Contemporary Issues And Cross-Currents

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Dear Reader,

The first Two Authors of this book I found very enlightening, especially Rev.Dr. William Dietwig's section. I found that Last Author's section was not in harmony with the first two. I was not pleased with his lack of protocol. It may be the contemporary way of writing, but I find it highly distasteful. When referring to ordained clergy in his book, he mostly refers to them only by their last name, as sometimes this is seen in a news paper article. Now if he were not a professor of theology, and well familiar with Church protocol, one would be more apt to look over the matter. Another point is, in his argument, he tries to reinvent the wheel so to speak, by pushing only one aspect of the deacon's ministry, that a deacon is sent by the Bishop or priest, as one would send a message. He negates to stress that the permanent deacon is an ordained minister, like a priest or bishop and as such receives the grace of Holy Orders, which configures the deacon ontologically into the Image of Christ the Servant. It is Christ primarily that calls a man to ordained ministry, and it is He who ordained the man by the hands of the bishop. It is Christ who Sends the deacon , and who equips the man to make him equal to the tasks. Also the same author that I was disappointed in, Michael Kennedy almost seemed to show that he believed the deacons were not necessary, he seem to lack the appreciation and understanding of the Mystery of Holy Orders. For instance, he states that in his view (because he feels the deacons's main identity is with the bishop) that there is not difference between having a deacon preach a homily or a layman. Such a statement is a manifestation of poor formation in Sacramental Theology in my humble opinion.