Contemplation in front of the Icon

From Everyday Diaconia to Table Service to Organised Church to Organized Diaconia – Theological Mosaics

Abstract

The aim of the study is to provide a theological background to the studies on diaconia in the thematic edition of the Lelkipásztor. Starting from the analysis of the icon, the theological mosaics lead to the Diaconal Strategy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary, i.e. the challenges of the present and the future. Special focus is given to the first seven verses of Acts 6, whose analysis is closely related to the reflections on the diaconal icon. After a brief summary of the history of diaconia, the study presents the church-historical background of twentieth-century Hungarian Lutheran diaconia. The study finally focuses on the institutional development of the last thirty-five years and draws attention to the directions of the necessary theological reflection.