As we live into the fourth wave of the current renewal of the Sacred Order of Deacons in The Episcopal Church, we are gaining greater clarity about the distinctive nature of the “full and equal order,” and we are increasingly able and willing to invite the gift of prophetic servant leadership. At the heart of the deacon’s vocation and charism is a way of seeing the world and the church that informs prayer and action. Drawing on the concept and discipline of hermeneutics this online course will explore the components of a diaconal hermeneutic and how it shapes ministry and the deacon’s ordination charge, “to interpret to the church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.”
The course is suitable for the ongoing learning of deacons in ministry, persons aspiring to the diaconate or who are in formation. It will also be informative for members of congregational vocations committees and members of Commission on Ministry.
Instructor: Roderick Dugliss is Dean of the School for Deacons in the Diocese of California. He has served as a missionary in Japan and for many years had a career in the business world. Rod holds a PhD in political science from Duke University.