THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PECULIARITIES OF DEACONESS MINISTRY IN THE EASTERN AND WESTERN HAGIOGRAPHY OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH

Abstract

The article shows that Ancient Churches, independently of each other, in different regions worked on a general idea of women's church ministry, which could be called differently, but everywhere had common features. Deaconesses were the only institutionalized women's community within the Ancient Church, which developed around III–IV centuries in the East. Their powers, despite the peculiarities rites of initiation were never associated with sacred religious service – in terms of status, deaconesses were close to subdeacons. In the West, deaconesses as women with practical responsibilities properties disappeared very quickly. In the hagiographic tradition, the center of the narrative was a specific person and his spiritual life. In the course of research we have analyzed the examples of the lives of deaconess of the Ancient Church. In these texts there is a special importance was attached to miraculous events, characterization in relief and detail the virtues and high status of holy women were promoted.