Still time to sign up: Online seminar on women deacons

I  thought this press release might interest NCR readers:

Massive Online Open Seminar on Women Deacons June 9-July 8, 2014

The Massive Online Open Seminar (MOOS) on Women Deacons: Past, Present, Future will run June 9-July 8. The seminar is just what it sounds like--a chance for you to join with other folks around the world to read, think and talk about the possibility of restoring women to the ordained diaconate in the Catholic Church.

The seminar is free and registration is now open. It will feature authors William T. Ditewig, Gary Macy and Phyllis Zagano, with cameo appearances by other members of the Catholic Theological Society of America. A suggested course book, "Ordination of Women as Deacons in the Eastern Churches: essays by Cipriano Vagaggini" (Liturgical Press) is also featured in the seminar. The seminar will run June 9-July 8, 2014 on CourseSites, a Blackboard platform, and includes annotated bibliography, PowerPoint presentations, video lectures, and voluntary discussion board. The project is supported by Hofstra University. Read clear registration instructions here.

There are several questions we will look at during the seminar:

1. In the past: who were the women deacons in the early church? were they ordained? what did they do? why did they disappear?

2. In the present: when was the diaconate rejuvenated, and why? has there been consideration of women in the diaconate?

3. In the future: what are the obstacles to women in the diaconate? how can these challenges be addressed? what would it mean for women to be ordained?

Each of the first four days of each week will contain readings and lectures -- about one hour's worth of work per day. Each Friday, the Discussion Board will open for three days. Where possible an instructor or teaching assistant will join in. Course books may be ordered by clicking the book image on this page. Each course book is available electronically or in paper.

Ordination of Women to the Diaconate in the Eastern Churches: Essays by Cipriano Vagaggini Collegeville, MN, Liturgical Press, 2013.

Women Deacons: Past, Present, Future. (With Gary Macy and William T. Ditewig) Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2011.

Please register for the MOOS here..