A Multiplicity of Washing Rites and a Multiplicity of Experiences

Identifiers: i s b n 978-1-4982-0473-6 (paperback) | i s b n 978-1-4982-0475-0 (hard cover) I i s b n 978-1-4982-0474-3 (ebook)

In Wayne Meeks’s groundbreaking study The First Urban Christians, Pauline baptism was treated as analogous to rites of passage. With the aid of Victor Turner’s theoretical reflections, Meeks proposed that in Pauline baptism “reaggregation” retains many of the liminal characteristics of communitas, which properly belong to the “transition” phase of the ritual. Almost twenty-five years later, and almost forty years after Turner’s theory was first published, it is worthwhile to reconsider the theoretical basis for examining Pauline baptism as a ritual process. This paper contends that newer theoretical models better help us to grapple with the eschatological dimension of the Pauline process as well as its intimate relationship to communal meals in Pauline circles. This paper also argues that there is some instructive slippage between any ritual theory and what is occurring in Pauline baptism, which can function as an interpretive key to this somewhat idiosyncratic ritual.

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2008

In this contribution, I emphasize the potential public—and here that means 'societal'—impact of one of the main sacraments of the church; namely, the sacrament of baptism. I shall focus especially on the ethical implications of the sacrament of baptism as a sacrament that marks the transition to a new way of life. The thesis to be elaborated is that the sacrament of baptism, including its doctrine of original sin and its expectation of the kingdom of God, comprises the indispensable framework of a sound public theology understood as a theology of societal renewal.

1999

Gregorianum, 2019

Questo studio dimostra che la teologia del battesimo di Ratzinger è nel quadro di una prospettiva storica e cosmologica sulla liturgia. Storicamente, il battesimo non può essere compreso se non riusciamo a vedere e comprendere la sua ombra nell’An- tico Testamento dove ha la sua «origine». Allo stesso tempo, il battesimo contempo- raneo indica il presente di Cristo nella liturgia della Chiesa. Il battesimo è più di un semplice rituale cristiano che avvia uno nella religione del cristianesimo; ha luogo nella creazione e usa contemporanei creati della morte e della risurrezione storica di Cristo. Infine, l’indicazione della partecipazione del credente all’opera di Cristo me- diante il Battesimo prescrive l’imperativo della nuova vita. This study demonstrates that Ratzinger’s theology of Baptism is situated in the framework of a historical and cosmological perspective on the Liturgy. Historically, Baptism cannot be truly understood if we fail to see and comprehend its shadow in the Old Testament where it has its «origin». At the same time, contemporary Baptism points as image to the reality of the crucified and resurrected Christ present in the Liturgy of the Church. Baptism is more than just a Christian ritual that initiates one into the religion of Christianity; it takes place in creation and uses created matter so as to make us contemporaries of Christ’s historical death and resurrection. Finally, the in- dicative of the believer’s participation in Christ’s work by way of Baptism prescribes the imperative of the new life.

The Church and the Otherness, 2025

During Late Antiquity, there was much debate over re-baptism. For those who wished to join their communities, many heretical movements, including the Donatists and Novatians, required re-baptism. The orthodox view of baptism as a one-time sacrament conferring permanent membership in the church was challenged by this position. Christian identity and the relationship between Christian groups were significantly affected by the controversy over re-baptism. According to orthodoxy, baptism is a one-time sacrament that reinforces the unity of the church and the apostolic succession. The heretical view, on the other hand, emphasized the exclusivity of their respective communities and their rejection of the broader Christian tradition. As part of this topic, we will examine the historical, theological, and social dimensions of the controversy over re-baptism, including the beliefs and practices of the heretical groups, orthodox leaders, and communities, and the broader implications of these debates for Christian identity and community during late Antiquity.

The doctrine and practice of baptism is one of the cornerstones of Christian ecclesiology. In the famous Great Commission passage of Matthew, Jesus tells his church to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Triune God (Mt. 28:19). Jesus could have prescribed any number of things in his final charge to his disciples, but he thought baptism was important to enough to include. This places baptism high in the priority list of Christian praxis. Despite the significance, the church at large has not come to an agreement on what baptism is precisely. There are large branches of the church that do not agree with each other on this most crucial doctrine. What is baptism? What are the key differences between major denominations in their views of baptism? And is there a possibility of denominations coming together in agreement on this doctrine? Such questions are at the heart of this study. The thrust of this paper is to navigate between three different positions on baptism and demonstrate that baptism is in fact a potential sacrament, bearing characteristics of all three positions, yet distinguishing the sacramental aspect as potential, dependent upon faith. In order to demonstrate this, attention will be given to three major views of baptism: Memorial Sign, Regenerative Sacrament, and Covenantal Sacrament. The core tenets of each position will be considered, listing notable traditions and theologians who favor each position. Finally, the Potential Sacrament position will be defended not so much by rehashing century-old exegesis, but by reframing the discussion by showing how baptism as both a sign and sacrament makes better sense of how the evidence has been understood historically.

Abstract: The God of the Bible is an incarnate God: A God who speaks in and through the embodied human experience. Thus, for all of the theological significance of baptism, it is also incumbent for Christians to recognize the vital sociological role baptism plays as a rite of passage, as well as the ways in which baptism serves as an embodied pedagogy, that is, as a learning experience that has lasting effects in the life of the believer. This has implications for baptismal practice, specifically having to do with the timing in which baptism is undertaken. I argue in this essay for a recognition that baptism serves both sociological and pedagogical functions in the life of Christians and the church, and that perhaps a third category—a “liminal” category—should be envisioned for those on their way toward baptism.

2019

Any typology of rituals wouldn’t be complete without including a number of very important rites that can be found in practically all religious tradition and mark the passage from one domain, stage of life, or vocation into another. Such rituals have been classified as rite of passage. Among the church persons, entry into a religious society or the assumption of any other new religious role is customarily an event celebrated by rites such as those of baptism and confirmation. Baptism is a sacrament of admission to the Christian church. The overall objective of the study is to explore how baptism as a rite of passage contributes in fostering collective sentiment and solidarity among members of a given society. The paper deals with a christening rituals carried out on Sunday 11November, 2018 at St. Mark church in Addis Ababa. The study used merely qualitative approaches to collect information pertinent to the topic under investigation. In-depth interview, participant observation, group...

The origin, function, and meaning of baptism at the baptism of John the Baptist and for first-century Christians continue to provoke scholarly discussion and debate. 1 The ritual ablutions in Qumran were regarded by some as providing a background, and at times even as the origin, for John's baptism. 2 These studies drew on allusions to ritual immersion in the Community Rule (1QS) and at times also Josephus' Essenes. However, they hardly discussed the recently published so-called purification liturgies (4Q414 and 4Q512), which engage in purification-repentance-atonement in a more detailed and direct manner. The purification liturgies provide better evidence on which further analysis of the baptism of John and early Christian baptism should be grounded. The first part of this article suggests new observations concerning the similarities and differences between the purification liturgies from Qumran and the NT evidence on the baptism of John. While both involved repentance and atonement, I would like to suggest that the latter did not include purification at all. Yet in both, immersion in water was a ritual that symbolized moral transformation, in which repentance was a precondition for forgiveness and atonement. This ritual would make the repentance sincere and effective. In the second part of this article, the Qumranic ritual of immersion-purification and repentance as means of atonement will be used as a model for ________________ * I am grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions for improvement.