A diakonia e as mulheres: “onde for pregado em todo o mundo o evangelho, será contado também o que ela fez, para memória sua”

Abstract

This thesis aims to investigate the relationship between diakonia and women from three specific historical perspectives. Firstly, from the emergence of the Mother House of Deaconesses and the work of the deaconesses, secondly, diakonia and women in the ministry of Jesus and finally, diakonia and women in the apostolic period. The aim is to analyze these three historical clippings from the perspective of gender studies, seeking to point to the protagonism of women. Jesus dignifies diakonia by valuing service, which until then was seen as an inferior activity carried out by slaves and women. The concept of diakonia inaugurated by Jesus is completely innovative. By stating that he came to serve and not to be served (Mk 10.43), Jesus points to a new relationship to be established with those on the margins. With this, women are empowered, are heard, are touched and expose their suffering. Through the analysis of these three specific contexts, it can be stated that, regardless of context and period, women exercised leadership and that their protagonism was diaconal. In addition, it is possible to verify that many men tried to suppress the leadership of women, or even superimpose themselves over the work carried out by each woman named in this research. Authors such as: Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Walter Altmann, Ivone Gebara, Mercedes Lopes, Gerda Nied, Ruthild Brakemeier, Rodolfo Gaede Neto, Luise Schottroff, Ivoni Richter Reimer, Dierk Starnitzke, Dorothee Sölle, Márcia Paixão, Elsa Tamez, among other names, help to reflect on these research findings. Based on the studies of these authors, we recovered and documented the protagonism of women deaconesses, among which I name Gerda Nied, Wera Frank, Phoebe, Junia and Priscila. Based on this study, it is possible to state that diakonia also means exercising leadership and that important fronts of diaconal action were assumed by women.