Here, Dr Stefanie Conradt, SWF Research Officer and practical theologian, reviews Priscilla Pope-Levison’s book No Man’s Land: The International Methodist Deaconness Movement, 1874-1918 (2025: Cascade Books).
On the heels of the 50-year anniversary of women’s ordination in the Methodist Church (2024), No Man’s Land: The International Methodist Deaconess Movement, 1874 to 1918 renders an important addition. Priscilla Pope-Levison presents the development of the Methodist deaconess movement and thereby introduces the reader to leading Methodist women who followed their vocation to practise practical theology in-midst of poverty and challenging socio-economic circumstances. Providing a brief overview of the historical development of the deaconess movement (Chapter 1), the author then introduces different facets of the movement, relating to theological positionalities of a deaconess’ vocation (Chapter 2 and 5), their theological education and uniform appearance (Chapters 3 and 4). In the final chapters, Pope-Levison draws attention to male advocates and challengers of the Methodist deaconess movement (Chapter 6 and 7), before closing with an Epilogue in which she states the movement’s contribution for the Methodist church today. By drawing on primary and secondary sources, Methodist deaconesses come to life on the page, telling the reader of their aspirations, challenges and tribulations. The inclusion of creative pieces of literature, such as Iva Durham Vennard’s contemplations of a deaconess’ guitar’s experiences, make interesting reading, inviting reflections on creative writing methods in today’s theological formation.
Pope-Levison certainly adopts an international horizon in her assessment of the deaconess movement, with references to New Zealand, India, the UK, Germany and North America. The reading seems to suggest, however an emphasis on the North American Methodist deaconess movement, with attention to its international origins and similarities. This becomes obvious in the author’s attention pertaining i) the developments of the deaconess training schools in the United States, ii) their leading Methodist deaconesses, and iii) the Black deaconess movement in the United States. Introducing to date unfamiliar voices involved in the Methodist deaconess movement, I sympathise with the author that the scarcity of information relating to the African Methodist Episcopal deaconesses is unfortunate. I believe that this gap provides an opportunity for a post-colonial critique of the Methodist deaconess movement and the systemic lack of support for Black deaconesses. As a practical theologian with German background, I believe that the outline of the movement’s origins holds potential for further engagement with attention to the way the Methodist deaconess movement contributed to the development of the deaconess movement of the Protestant Church in Germany (which formally is distinct from the Methodist Church).
Reading this book presented a fruitful engagement and it was striking to learn about the way in which Methodist deaconesses had to fight for a legitimate space to exist in midst of voices that categorised them as neither clergy, nor lay person and dangerous influence. These women worked, lived and served in no man’s land. Following Pope-Levison’s example of proposing questions for further reflection at the end of each chapter, I am left wondering: as we continue to struggle in principle with the same no man’s land issue cloaked in a different coat, considering the vocation of chaplaincy, lay ministry and the acknowledgment of women ministers in some free church denominations, what needs to be done to break this cycle? And what are we willing to invest?