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Baptismal Imagery in Early Christianity: Ritual, Visual, and Theological Dimensions
What can we learn from early Christian imagery about the theological meaning of baptism? Robin Jensen, a leading scholar of early Christian art and worship, examines multiple dimensions of the early Christian baptismal rite. She explores five models for understanding baptism--as cleansing from sin, sickness, and Satan; as incorporation into the community; as sanctifying and illuminative; as death and regeneration; and as the beginning of the new creation--showing how visual images, poetic language, architectural space, and symbolic actions signify and convey the theological meaning of this ritual practice. Considering image and action together, Jensen offers a holistic and integrated understanding of the power of baptism. The book is illustrated with photos.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
17 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Robin M. Jensen
29 books4 followersRobin M. Jensen (PhD, Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary) is Luce Chancellor’s Professor of the History of Christian Art and Worship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She has authored several books, including Face to Face: Portraits of the Divine in Early Christianity and Understanding Early Christian Art.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 18, 2020
A comprehensive and encyclopedic overview of early Christian iconography, ritual, and oratory concerning the sacrament of baptism. Rich and theologically imaginative, great resource for sacramental interpretation of scripture. Recommend for preachers for its historical and theological perspective.
January 19, 2020
Robin M. Jensen guides us down some floors of the Ivory Tower, closer to the realm of experience. Her proposal is to not focus on baptismal theology itself or to write a history of Christian baptism but is to tell us how the theology was expressed through various rituals, images, and symbols (xi). Of course, the baptism is a unique experience, and the baptism of an infant evoke a different sensation than an adult baptism (2). But both provide what can be called an ontological change in the candidate to baptism (55-56, 109-111).
Her method is to divide in five aspects, from a more internal to external to an eschatological expression of the baptism. The chapters of the book are (I) Baptism as Cleansing from Sin and Sickness, (II) Incorporation into the Community, (III) Baptism as Sanctifying and Illuminative, (IV) Baptism as Dying and Raising, and (V) Baptism as the Beginning of the New Creation. In each one of these chapters she repeats the same structure with minor variations. She begins with the New Testament view, moves to the Early Christian authors and what they have to say about the topic, then to an analysis of Biblical Imagery used in visuals of the baptism, and finishes with the ritual or liturgical acts that convey the subject’s meaning. For this reason, she repeats throughout the book the same images and much of the same texts, but the marveling factor is that instead of being the apex of boring reding, the images grow and the symbolism that they convey also. At the end of the book, one can apprehend the complexity of liturgical symbols and leave the prior liturgical prejudgment behind.
The first chapter begins with the analysis of the Christian theological core for baptism, the Baptism of our Lord (Matt. 3; Mark 1; Luke 3), in her words “the source, authorization, and paradigm for Christian baptism” (7). She explores the most primitive meaning of baptism that is to clear the candidate of sin and sickness. Other Biblical stories that will also show in baptisteries and Early Christian art are analyzed through the different author until the fourth century, a pattern, as said above, that she will follow throughout the book. Figures as Naaman (2 Kings 5), the Paralytic at Bethesda (John 5), and the Man Born Blind (John 9) are examples of recurrent Biblical stories. What the Early Church saw in these stories was a way of express their experience and theology. In the ritual section, recurring acts are the use white robes, the anointing, the nakedness, and the washing itself. All symbols that grow as one is reading her book.
She also uses the Roman context as part of her analysis, and this is the motif of the second chapter. The Baptism presented you to a new life, a new family, a new group, a new identity (54-56). The Early Church used the same images and compared the Baptism as enlisting in the army (65-67) or association in other groups (62-63). To betray the Church after baptism was the same as dishallow the soldier’s oath (sacramentum). The baptism is a vow of loyalty to Christ (66). Other figures are as old as the New Testament, like Athletes and Priests and Kings. Related to these figures are the liturgical signs as sponsors, the holy kiss, and the sign of the cross.
The third chapter she explores the Sanctifying and Illuminative aspects of baptism. This gives her opportunity to explore the expression of Early Church Pneumatology and the changes in the life of the candidate. She explores deeply the Early Church usage of anointing and how the Church saw this practice. The Church saw in this practice an essential part of Baptism, with the imposition of hands, as a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit (91-93). As illuminative expressions in liturgy, other practices were hold together with the lay on hands, as the use of candles, fire, and the ad orientem confession and prayers.
The fourth chapter looks to the baptism and its connection with death and resurrection. The main Bible texts are Romans 6 and John 3. And the Early Church used almost every resurrection account in the Bible as a connection with baptism. But the baptisteries had this death and resurrection in their architecture. Much of them were built in crypts or with grave allusions. The resurrection aspect was deeply connected with the new birth, reflected in other kinds of baptisteries that resembled the womb. Liturgical expressions as nakedness and white robes and the immersion grow in significance, from the old nature dead in the watery grave to reborn in pure, white nature. Also, the Early Church practice of delaying the baptism provided the symbol of being baptized in the Easter, a very strong sign of resurrection (138).
The last chapter explores the Eden figure of the new Creation. The Early Church saw in Genesis the figure of the Eschaton, the restoration of the lost Paradise. The Jordan River and Jesus as second Adam are also Biblical motifs explored by the author. Also, the eight-day symbol, usually expressed in octagonal baptismal fonts, is analyzed by Jensen (204-208).
The book is a well don research in early Christianity. Her method of repetition of symbols deepens the analysis each time and preserve the character of the symbols, of express a complex reality and experience. This book helps the reader to get acquainted with the mystery language of the Church, to understand the proper work of visuals, rituals, and symbols in general and how they are part of the core of the Christian Church, for certain truths of faith can only be expressed through these means (3), inserting the past (fact, reality) in our present (5).
This book is essential for liturgy students and for those who want to learn with the Early Church what means to be baptized.
Her method is to divide in five aspects, from a more internal to external to an eschatological expression of the baptism. The chapters of the book are (I) Baptism as Cleansing from Sin and Sickness, (II) Incorporation into the Community, (III) Baptism as Sanctifying and Illuminative, (IV) Baptism as Dying and Raising, and (V) Baptism as the Beginning of the New Creation. In each one of these chapters she repeats the same structure with minor variations. She begins with the New Testament view, moves to the Early Christian authors and what they have to say about the topic, then to an analysis of Biblical Imagery used in visuals of the baptism, and finishes with the ritual or liturgical acts that convey the subject’s meaning. For this reason, she repeats throughout the book the same images and much of the same texts, but the marveling factor is that instead of being the apex of boring reding, the images grow and the symbolism that they convey also. At the end of the book, one can apprehend the complexity of liturgical symbols and leave the prior liturgical prejudgment behind.
The first chapter begins with the analysis of the Christian theological core for baptism, the Baptism of our Lord (Matt. 3; Mark 1; Luke 3), in her words “the source, authorization, and paradigm for Christian baptism” (7). She explores the most primitive meaning of baptism that is to clear the candidate of sin and sickness. Other Biblical stories that will also show in baptisteries and Early Christian art are analyzed through the different author until the fourth century, a pattern, as said above, that she will follow throughout the book. Figures as Naaman (2 Kings 5), the Paralytic at Bethesda (John 5), and the Man Born Blind (John 9) are examples of recurrent Biblical stories. What the Early Church saw in these stories was a way of express their experience and theology. In the ritual section, recurring acts are the use white robes, the anointing, the nakedness, and the washing itself. All symbols that grow as one is reading her book.
She also uses the Roman context as part of her analysis, and this is the motif of the second chapter. The Baptism presented you to a new life, a new family, a new group, a new identity (54-56). The Early Church used the same images and compared the Baptism as enlisting in the army (65-67) or association in other groups (62-63). To betray the Church after baptism was the same as dishallow the soldier’s oath (sacramentum). The baptism is a vow of loyalty to Christ (66). Other figures are as old as the New Testament, like Athletes and Priests and Kings. Related to these figures are the liturgical signs as sponsors, the holy kiss, and the sign of the cross.
The third chapter she explores the Sanctifying and Illuminative aspects of baptism. This gives her opportunity to explore the expression of Early Church Pneumatology and the changes in the life of the candidate. She explores deeply the Early Church usage of anointing and how the Church saw this practice. The Church saw in this practice an essential part of Baptism, with the imposition of hands, as a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit (91-93). As illuminative expressions in liturgy, other practices were hold together with the lay on hands, as the use of candles, fire, and the ad orientem confession and prayers.
The fourth chapter looks to the baptism and its connection with death and resurrection. The main Bible texts are Romans 6 and John 3. And the Early Church used almost every resurrection account in the Bible as a connection with baptism. But the baptisteries had this death and resurrection in their architecture. Much of them were built in crypts or with grave allusions. The resurrection aspect was deeply connected with the new birth, reflected in other kinds of baptisteries that resembled the womb. Liturgical expressions as nakedness and white robes and the immersion grow in significance, from the old nature dead in the watery grave to reborn in pure, white nature. Also, the Early Church practice of delaying the baptism provided the symbol of being baptized in the Easter, a very strong sign of resurrection (138).
The last chapter explores the Eden figure of the new Creation. The Early Church saw in Genesis the figure of the Eschaton, the restoration of the lost Paradise. The Jordan River and Jesus as second Adam are also Biblical motifs explored by the author. Also, the eight-day symbol, usually expressed in octagonal baptismal fonts, is analyzed by Jensen (204-208).
The book is a well don research in early Christianity. Her method of repetition of symbols deepens the analysis each time and preserve the character of the symbols, of express a complex reality and experience. This book helps the reader to get acquainted with the mystery language of the Church, to understand the proper work of visuals, rituals, and symbols in general and how they are part of the core of the Christian Church, for certain truths of faith can only be expressed through these means (3), inserting the past (fact, reality) in our present (5).
This book is essential for liturgy students and for those who want to learn with the Early Church what means to be baptized.
December 27, 2023
Oy vey, this book was 200 pages too long, and it's only like 225 pages. I understand I write reviews and not books, and I mean no disrespect to the author, but I do not understand why this book was written, or why it is required reading in my seminary. It repeats itself a lot; you will hear how they used to baptize people naked like every other page, we get it, they did it naked, but we ain't doing that now, so you really just needed a few sentences on that one. It emphasizes the various baptismal imagery (hence the title), but the actual images are very hard to see, and Jensen essentially argues that everything in the Bible is a Baptismal imagery of sorts... some of it I can see, some of it feels like a stretch, but that stretch goes on for 20 pages. Glad it's over.
March 28, 2021
Jensen has a wealth of information about baptism in the early church, complete with black and white photos of baptismal fonts, mosaics, etc. One cannot help but marvel at how different it all is from today, and wonder what the reaction would be in our congregations if the demands placed on those wishing to be baptized were the same today as in the early church. What have we gained in the process? What have we lost? There's much to pray and ponder over.
July 3, 2016
A solid summary of the early church's view of baptism taking into account literary and artistic evidence from the first 5 centuries of the church. Most significant disappointment was a tendency by the author to find antecedents of baptismal aspects in a pagan environment rather than a Jewish background. The book is 5 chapters with each chapter taking a theme and exploring how that theme is expressed by the early church fathers (e.g., cleansing from sin and sickness, incorporation into the community, sanctifying and illuminative, dying and rising, and beginning of new creation). Some chapters could have been stronger had the presentation of evidence been given in a chronological order rather than a mixing of writers. I would have found it helpful to see how a theme developed over 500 years rather than a jumble of writers. Nevertheless, the work is valuable in summarizing common themes identified by the early church as explanatory of the meaning of baptism. The universal view of the early church is that baptism is the time and place that God does his saving work; not an act subsequent to salvation (modern view held by most of Evangelicalism).
December 8, 2014
This book is what it is. It's a academic work covering the history of baptism in the Early Christian church. I was assigned this book for a review in a Seminary course. Jensen is one of the best at what she does. She teaches classes on this particular subject at Vanderbilt and her writing shows it. At times the book can be pretty heavy, and it's meant to be. Full of illustrations and pictures of art portray baptism are used throughout, and once you find your way to the end of the book, you feel more knowledgeable for it. Great for a selected piece of historical study, but not for everyone. Three stars simply because it was such heavy reading. If it were possible I would give it a 3.5.
August 31, 2015
While there are great insights into the early church's art and baptismal practices, overall it was evident that the book was written very academically. If you are not in graduate or post-graduate school, this may not be the book for you. One annoying aspect was in its repetition of small details, mentioning a specific detail about 3 or 4 times, and one of those times expounded on the issue (some conflation needed). I found myself saying, Hmm interesting, Ah! having learning moments, for a handful of pages, the rest were trudged through. Fascinating topic - could be better written and organized!
August 28, 2016
This is such a comprehensive and detailed resource on baptism in the early church. Excellent read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews