Diakoniewissenschaft 2018–2022

Whereas the last report covering the period from 2015 to 2018 was dominated by considerations on the changes of the social service sector from a cooperative system which favoured the established welfare organizations toawelfare market, on which a multitude of private providers could offer their services at their own financial conditions, in this report, the focus has changed to leadership ethics as well as attitudes and methods of inspiration of the employees and the clients (cf. part 4: Structure – Organization – Governance). Just three articles of this report still focus on restructuring diaconal organizations, due to market conditions but also to new social requirements demanding for new financial resources (cf. social investments in part one). This does not mean that management and leadership have given up on their structural responsibility, but new challenges have come up, at least of two kinds. One is the cultural impact on society in terms of mediating values and the other is the promotion of ethical and religious activities within the highly pluralistic and secularized professional staff in the organizations. Several publications address the common good and welfare culture, one of them focusses on the unconventional initiative of women for poor and needy people starting at the end of the 18th century (part 1: Diaconia – Society – Culture). The following part Diaconal Practice, Attitudes, and Action deals with activities promoting diaconal identity and spirituality among the mostly secularized employees in order to achieve a diaconal profile of the organization. Inclusion as overall aim and obligation of all activities directed to people with disabilities is still on the way of its realization, as shown by several attempts to assess the effects of inclusive attempts and settings gathered inabook under the title »Good Assistance«. Even in Intercultural Theology inclusion is sometimes considered, but still scarcely. A report on the activities and successes of »enabling communities« should encourage other attempts of this kind. New research on biblical concepts and practices of diaconia was done in New Testament studies which broaden the insights of Collins and Hentschel byamore detailed analysis of all respective texts of the four evangelists and the letters of Paul. From a philosophical perspective, Daniel Straß helps to dispute a mere functional explanation of help and support as of Niklas Luhmann with his book »Philosophy of Social Work« as it shows the persisting influences of several thinkers and traditions (esp. religious) on the actual shaping of the services, even in a functionalized system. The concluding part of the book, dedicated to the traditional institution »diaconate«, offers an historical account on the »brotherhood« in the Johannesstift, near Berlin, a showpiece of education, study and lifelong belonging of deacons and a jewel in its cultural heritage. But the view on the future possibilities of deacons looks less attractive. According to Zukunftsperspektiven Diakonischer Lebenskultur by Mathias Hartmann and Peter Schwarz, the few remaining deacons in service organizations could serve as anchor-persons for ethical and spiritual issues (in the sense of Beate Hofmann), engaged with diaconal profiling. If this should be the new professional role, at least a specific education would be required as well as an acknowledged position, which should include an entitlement for pastoral care.

CHRISTIAN ALBRECHT (Hg.), Was leistet die Diakonie fürs Gemeinwohl? Diakonie als gesellschaftliche Praxis des Öffentlichen Protestantismus. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2018, XII + 123 S. – DERS. (Hg.), Altern als Lebensform. Orientierungen für die Diakonie. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2021, XI + 116 S. – DERS., Präsenzdienst. Die Bedeutung der Diakonie für die öffentliche Wahrnehmbarkeit christlicher Einstellungsmuster, in: Ders./ Reiner Anselm, Differenzierung und Integration. Fallstudien zu Präsenzen und Praktiken eines Öffentlichen Protestantismus. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2020, XII+75–92 S. -DERS. (Hg.), Gibt es Glück in der Diakonie? Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2020, XII + 154 S. – HEIDI ALBRECHT/FRIEDER GRAU/DANIELA KRAUSE-WACK (Hg.), Diakonische Unternehmen und Gemeinschaften – Partner für gelingende Diakonie. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt 2019, 391 S. -ROBERTBACHERT (Hg.), Corporate Governance in Nonprofit-Organisationen am Beispiel der Diakonie. Leipzig: Evan