CHAPTER II.
DEACONESSES IN THE EARLY CHURCH.
Little knowledge of early Church—Pliny’s letter—Apostolic Constitutions—Deaconesses, widows, and virgins—Duties of the deaconess—Chrysostom, Olympias—Deaconesses in Western Church—Decline in importance—Extinction—Influences that led to decay [18]
CHAPTER III.
DEACONESSES FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURIES.
Béguines—Characteristics—Duties—Gerhard Groot—Sisters of the Common Life—Obligations—Duties—Waldenses—Bohemian Brethren—Luther—Calvin—Reformed Church at Wesel—Deaconesses in Amsterdam—Damsels of Charity—Mennonites and Moravians [34]
CHAPTER IV.
FLIEDNER, THE RESTORER OF THE OFFICE OF DEACONESS.
Efforts for the restoration of the office of deaconess made by Klönne—Amalie Sieveking—Von Stein—Count von der Recke—Fliedner—His childhood—Youth—Student life—Pastorate and travels—Marriage—First prison society—Founding of refuge—Need of training schools—Rhenish-Westphalian Deaconess Society [46]