Following the volume Deacons and Diakonia in the Early Church: The First Two Centuries (2018), this collection continues the study of deacons into the patristic era. Once again, scholars from a range of backgrounds - each an expert on a particular early Christian author or text - consider the use of diakonos and related words, this time from the third century onwards. These texts reveal what deacons did, further contributing to our understanding of how leadership structures developed in the past and giving guidance for the present, particularly in ecumenical discussions concerning the ministry.