Read complete books and articles on: Baptism

Baptism - [Gr., =dipping], in most Christian churches a sacrament. It is a rite of purification by water, a ceremony invoking the grace of God to regenerate the person, free him or her from sin, and make that person a part of the church. Thus, baptism is usually required for membership in the church. In Roman Catholic and Anglican theology baptism is also held to confer an

13 of the Best Books and Articles on: Baptism

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

Baptismal Instructions » Read Now
by St. John Chrysostom, Paul W. Harkins. 380 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

A monumental project which brings the English-speaking work key selections from the remarkable literature of early Christianity -- vertiable trasures of Christian faith and theology in superb translations.
2.

Arator on the Acts of the Apostles: A Baptismal Commentary » Read Now
by Richard Hillier. 228 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

Baptism for the early Christians was a subject of crucial importance, and its symbolism fired the imagination of writers throughout the Christian world. Arator, the Roman sub-deacon who wrote a verse-commentary on the Acts of the Apostles in A.D. 544, was no exception. The Historia Apostolica is a...
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Baptism for the early Christians was a subject of crucial importance, and its symbolism fired the imagination of writers throughout the Christian world. Arator, the Roman sub-deacon who wrote a verse-commentary on the Acts of the Apostles in A.D. 544, was no exception. The Historia Apostolica is a work of historical importance. Written at a time of crisis, politically and theologically, it is of interest as propaganda for a papacy under threat from Constantinople. But Arator's concentration on baptismal themes offers vital evidence of the transmission of exegetical ideas in late antiquity. This book is the first major work on Arator in English and the first ever to study the Historia Apostolica as biblical commentary. Passages of particular baptismal importance are presented both in the original Latin and in a new translation, and are considered in the context of the writings of earlier Christian commentators. Hillier's study is a wide-ranging study of the popularity and potency of baptismal symbolism in the first six centuries A.D.
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3.

Liturgy, Order and the Law (Chap. 6 "Baptism and Confirmation") » Read Now
by Rupert D. H. Bursell. 322 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

Liturgy is concerned with the worship of God. Yet in spite of that - some might say because of that - it is necessary to have rules. It is sometimes mistakenly thought that these rules are archaic and therefore irrevelant; in fact the rules and their interpretation have changed considerably in...
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Liturgy is concerned with the worship of God. Yet in spite of that - some might say because of that - it is necessary to have rules. It is sometimes mistakenly thought that these rules are archaic and therefore irrevelant; in fact the rules and their interpretation have changed considerably in recent years, so much so that there is now widespread concern among the clergy and church administrators about the degree to which Liturgical Law is being correctly understood and applied. This book has a straight forward aim which is to describe and analyse a wide range of Ecclesiastical Law topics which are scarcely dealt with in other books on Church Law and Ecclesiastical Law. As such it provides not merely a statement of legal principles but also a discussion in-depth of the relevant law and its developments. The style is precise and easy to read. The authorities and foot-notes are comprehensive. Arguably it presents the most comprehensive coverage of Ecclesiastical Law published in modern times.
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4.

Canon Law in the Anglican Communion: A Worldwide Perspective (Chap. 9 "Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion") » Read Now
by Norman G. Doe. 410 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

There is no recognized corpus of binding law globally applicable to all Churches in the Anglican Communion. Ostensibly, each Church is autonomous, free to make rules to facilitate and to order its internal life. This book, which is global in scope and will be of interest throughout the world, makes...
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There is no recognized corpus of binding law globally applicable to all Churches in the Anglican Communion. Ostensibly, each Church is autonomous, free to make rules to facilitate and to order its internal life. This book, which is global in scope and will be of interest throughout the world, makes available for the first time a comparative study of the Constitutions, Canons, and other forms of law of Churches in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Does analysis draws out the similarities and differences between them and, from the coincidence of actual laws and from global ecclesiastical conventions enunciated by the Lambeth Conference, he elucidates the global principles of Anglican canon law that may apply to all Churches in the Communion. The subjects examined include: government; ministry; doctrine and liturgy; rites; property; inter-church relations; and ecumenism. Does thorough and practical analysis of a hitherto under-explored subject is placed squarely within its jurisprudential and theological context, and will be welcomed by both practitioners and scholars. For those within the Anglican Communion, his book offers a wealth of information enabling individual Churches to see how fellow Churches are organized. For those without, the book provides a valuable insight into Anglican government and law.
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5.

Christianity and Symbolism (Chap. Seven "Water Symbolism and Christian Baptism") » Read Now
by F. W. Dillistone. 322 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
6.

The Bible and the Liturgy (Chap. Two "The Baptismal Rite," Chap. Four "The Types of Baptism: Creation and the Deluge," Chap. Five "Types of Baptism: The Crossing of the Red Sea," and Chap. Six "Types of Baptism: Elias and the Jordan") » Read Now
by Jean Daniaelou. 376 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
7.

Ecclesiological and Ecumenical Implications of Baptism, in The Ecumenical Review » Read Now
by Walter Kasper. 16 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
8.

Baptism -- The Basis of Church Unity? The Question of Baptism in Faith and Order, in The Ecumenical Review » Read Now
by Dagmar Heller. 11 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
9.

Baptism and the Process of Christian Initiation, in The Ecumenical Review » Read Now
by Paul S. Fiddes. 18 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
10.

Women, Gender, and Christian Community (Chap. 9 "Becoming Visible: Baptism, Women, and the Church") » Read Now
by Jane Dempsey Douglass, James F. Kay. 150 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

Despite progress in recent years, women and men continue to find it difficult to talk together about gender and religion. Does the Bible truly speak good news to women, or only the bad news of subjection to men? Why has the church insisted on referring to God with male pronouns and images? Can a...
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Despite progress in recent years, women and men continue to find it difficult to talk together about gender and religion. Does the Bible truly speak good news to women, or only the bad news of subjection to men? Why has the church insisted on referring to God with male pronouns and images? Can a spirituality developed by men out of their experience nourish the lives of women? How can men and women work in the church together?
These are the questions examined in this helpful book. Highly accessible to laity and adult study groups, it is sure to stimulate renewed discussion of this critical topic.
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11.

The Legal Framework of the Church of England: A Critical Study in a Comparative Context (Chap. 11 "Baptism and Confirmation") » Read Now
by Norman B. Doe. 543 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

This book describes in detail the ways in which the life of the Church of England is affected by law. It deals with a great many topics including canonical jurisprudence, ecclesiastical government, the ministry of clergy and laity, faith, doctrine and liturgy, the churches' rites and the management...
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This book describes in detail the ways in which the life of the Church of England is affected by law. It deals with a great many topics including canonical jurisprudence, ecclesiastical government, the ministry of clergy and laity, faith, doctrine and liturgy, the churches' rites and the management of property and finance. Each of these subjects is studied and analyzed critically and where appropriate comparisons are made with the Roman Catholic Church. Five general themes emerge: first is the degree to which the church can be said to be regulated; the second concerns the increasingly important use of administrative rules created executively at national and diocesian level to supplement the churches formal law; the third examines the relationship between the formal law and the pastoral values of clarity, certainty and flexibility; the fourth theme is the applicability of secular law; the final theme is the comparison with the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. Thus the book provides for the first time a comprehensive, descriptive and critical analysis of the legal framework of the Church of England and the regulatory instruments which operate within this framework.
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12.

Birth, Marriage, and Death: Ritual, Religion, and the Life-Cycle in Tudor and Stuart England (Part II "Baptism") » Read Now
by David Cressy. 640 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, History, Entire Library

From childbirth and baptism through to courtship, weddings, and funerals, every stage in the life-cycle of Tudor and Stuart England was accompanied by ritual. Even under the protestantism of the reformed Church, the spiritual and social dramas of birth, marriage, and death were graced with elaborate...
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From childbirth and baptism through to courtship, weddings, and funerals, every stage in the life-cycle of Tudor and Stuart England was accompanied by ritual. Even under the protestantism of the reformed Church, the spiritual and social dramas of birth, marriage, and death were graced with elaborate ceremony. Powerful and controversial protocols were in operation, shaped and altered by the influences of the Reformation, the Revolution, and the Restoration. Each of the major rituals was potentially an arena for argument, ambiguity, and dissent. Ideally, as classic rites of passage, these ceremonies worked to bring people together. But they also set up traps into which people could stumble, and tests which not everybody could pass. In practice, ritual performance revealed frictions and fractures that everyday local discourse attempted to hide or to heal. Using fascinating first-hand evidence, David Cressy shows how the making and remaking of ritual formed part of a continuing debate, sometimes strained and occasionally acrimonious, which exposed the raw nerves of society in the midst of great historical events. In doing so, he vividly brings to life the common experiences of living and dying in Tudor and Stuart England.
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13.

In the Name: Towards Alternative Baptismal Idioms, in The Ecumenical Review » Read Now
by Gail Ramshaw. 10 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library