
Unlike other churches, the Armenian Church has traditionally bestowed the rank of deacon not only on men, but on women as well, who have been active in a number of different ministries.
On Monday, November 28, Prof. Roberta Ervine will present a lecture at the Seminary, in which she will trace the long and intriguing history of this remarkable order of ordained women within the life of the Armenian Church. Ervine's lecture will be the fourth in the Seminary's Autumn Lecture Series and the second of two lectures devoted to Women in the Armenian Church. Two weeks ago, Mr. Jason Demerjian presented a lecture on the place of women in the canons of the Armenian Church.
"As one of the church's most creative and flexible avenues of ministry, the permanent diaconate's mission has been to remain especially attuned to the current needs of the Church, its hierarchy and its parish faithful," Dr. Ervine says. "The topic of this lecture will be the ways in which deacons, and women deacons in particular, have traditionally stepped in to fill those needs."
Dr. Ervine is Associate Professor of Armenian Studies at St. Nersess Seminary. A specialist in medieval Armenian religious literature and history, Dr. Ervine lived in the Armenian Quarter of Jersualem for more than 25 years and taught in the Department of Armenian Studies at Hebrew University before coming to St. Nersess. In her four years at the Seminary, Dr. Ervine has earned a reputation as a captivating speaker who makes Armenian history come alive.
The lecture, free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 PM. It will be followed by a reception.