Comments
- The Anabaptist Story: An Introduction to Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism
- The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness
- The Lord's Supper: Five Views by Gordon T. Smith
- Part Four, "The Lord's Supper" in The Sacred Actions of Christian Worship (Library of Christian Worship: Volume 6) by Robert Webber
- The Mass Versus the Lord’s Supper by H.A. Ironside (more polemical)
- In Remembrance of Me: A Manual on Observing the Lord’s Supper
- Take Eat, Take Drink: The Lord's Supper through the Centuries by Ernest Bartels
- Understanding Four Views on the Lord's Supper, edited by John H. Armstrong
- A Holy Meal: The Lord's Supper in the Life of the Church by Gordon T. Smith
- Appointment with God: Some Thoughts on Holy Communion by J.B. Phillips
- Last Supper & Lord's Supper by I. Howard Marshall
- The Eucharist by Alexander Schmemann
- Breaking Bread: The Spiritual Significance of Food by Sara Covin Juengst
- infant?s yes/no
- immersion only? yes/no
- required? yes/no
- trinitarian formula? yes/no
I did a search for baptism in my Church History collection, and these are the most significant sections that come up:
"Augustine and the transformation of Baptism" (Chapter 10) in The Origins of Christendom in the West by Alan Kreider. Much cheaper if you get it as part of the Church Origins Collection.
"§ 54. Baptism" (in Volume 1, Chapter IX, "Worship in the Apostolic Age"), "§ 70. The Celebration of Baptism" and "§ 73. Infant Baptism" (in Volume 2, Chapter V "Christian Worship"), " § 92. Baptism" (in Volume 3, Chapter VII, "Public Worship and Religious Customs and Ceremonies"), and "§ 114. Baptism and Confirmation (in Volume 5, Chapter XIV "The Sacramental System") in History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff.
BAPTISM in "Chapter 2: The House-Church" in The First Advance: AD 29-500.
"The Apostolic Practice of Baptism" (Chapter 9) in Worship in the Early Church.
There's also some good source material on baptism in A New Eusebius: Documents Illustrating the History of the Church to AD 337 by James Stevenson, including a relevant excerpt from The Didache (an early apostolic manual of instruction), etc.
(Those last two come as part of the Early Church History Collection.)
Depending on where you want to focus your research, you might also want to explore the histories of some segments of the church which have defined themselves primarily or largely on their understanding of baptism, such as the Anabaptists and the Baptists. Some books that might help you here are:
EDIT: Somehow one part of the paragraph on Schaff above got moved to the end. I've fixed it, but if you looked at this before, then check again.
Thanks, that helps a lot.
Rosie, maybe you would know.... I am trying to do research on a fairly unique topic. I pretty much assume that baptism should be done within the context of a local church (not by lone baptizers who proof-text Matthew 28), but I am trying to respond to someone who thinks that that is a possibility. I have gathered some of my own ideas, but I was hoping to find some Logos resources. Do any of your resources discuss who can administer baptism? I searched my resources, and I think most just "assume" the practice that we all take for granted, but few address this issue directly.
thanks again. I'm always shocked by the thoroughness and helpfulness of this forum.
I am trying to do research on a fairly unique topic. I pretty much assume that baptism should be done within the context of a local church (not by lone baptizers who proof-text Matthew 28), but I am trying to respond to someone who thinks that that is a possibility. I have gathered some of my own ideas, but I was hoping to find some Logos resources. Do any of your resources discuss who can administer baptism? I searched my resources, and I think most just "assume" the practice that we all take for granted, but few address this issue directly.
Hi Joel, unfortunately baptism has been one of the most divisive subjects throughout the history of Christianity, including who should administer it. And arguments over it can be all the more vehement because baptism is so close to the core of what it means to be a Christian, so people hold very dearly to their positions on it. Whole groups of people have been cast out of the church as heretics because they believed the "wrong" way about this (what if the baptizer was someone who was incorrectly baptized himself, does that invalidate the baptism, and on and on). Read up on the Donatist controversy (e.g., Augustine "On Baptism, Against the Donatists" in Early Church Fathers (NPNF1:4) if you have that, and anywhere in your bible dictionaries and encyclopedias where you can find Donatist or Donatism)
In my own journey of understanding baptism I've come to believe that generosity on this topic and a willingness to concede that our brothers and sisters might have a valid alternative viewpoint is important. One of the books that helped me along my journey (unfortunately not in Logos) is The Water that Divides by Donald Bridge and David Phypers. It's by a baptist and a paedo-baptist who come together despite their differing traditions. You might be able to find it through a local library or Inter-Library Loan, or on the used book market.
Anyway, to specifically address your question, it's generally not good to respond to someone else from a standpoint of "I pretty much assume" so I'm glad you're doing your homework. Start with Scripture. I can think of a couple of places off the top of my head where someone was baptized outside of the context of a local church: Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch -- "Here is water, why shouldn't I be baptized?" (Acts 8:26-40), and the Philippian jailer and his family in their home (Acts 16:25-34). Not that one should add those to the "prooftext" of Matt 28 and come to the conclusion that lone baptizers are always right to do what they're doing. But it's a little more complex than you might think. And again, I caution you that love and generosity, and not thinking we must have one right answer, are probably a good approach on this potentially contentious topic. There are ideals and there are also times when circumstances demand that we let go of those ideals. Perhaps the circumstances in the NT stories I cited above warranted going outside of the bounds of what would have been best under ideal circumstances. I don't know. You might also consider another non-ideal case of baptism administered when someone (whether adult or child) is about to die. Possibly not practical to have them in a local church setting for that. Also the thief on the cross who believed but was never baptized, however Jesus assured him he would be with him in paradise. In all of this, I believe our God is gracious.
Peace and blessings to you as you study further and discuss this with your friend or online correspondent.
On a related topic, I'm considering doing a thesis on the Lord's Supper. Know of any good resources in this area?
Oh yes! I've done quite a bit of research on that. Here are some helpful books:
In Logos:
Not in Logos:
And here are some more from the bibliography of a course I took in seminary called "Food: Creation, Community and Communion" -- I specifically pulled out the ones related to the Lord's Supper:
Adam, Adolf. The Eucharistic Celebration: The Source and Summit of Faith.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together.
Emminghaus, Johannes H. The Eucharist: Essence, Form, Celebration.
Fabing, Robert. Real Food: A Spirituality of the Eucharist.
Feeley-Harnik, Gillian. The Lord’s Table: Eucharist and Passover in Early Christianity.
Hay, Leo C. Eucharist: A Thanksgiving Celebration.
Hellwig, Monika K. The Eucharist and the Hunger of the World. In this fine little book put out by Paulist Press, Hellwig enlarges our sense of what the Eucharist means, as Schmemann would put it, “for the life of the world”.
Jasper, Ronald, and Geoffrey Cuming. Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed. More than prayers, this book gives the background of the Eucharist in thought and practice from early Jewish, pre-Jesus feast days and family meal blessings though to the Protestant Episcopal prayers of the late 1700s.
Knox, Ronald. The Mass in Slow Motion.
LaVerdiere, Eugene. Dining in the Kingdom of God: The Origins of the Eucharist According to Luke. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications (1994)
McGloin, Joseph T. How to Get More out of the Mass. Liguori, Mo.: Liguori Publications (1974).
McGowan, Michael. The Bread of Life: The Eucharist.
Miles, Sara. Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion.
Montoya, Angel F. Méndez.. Theology of Food: Eating and the Eucharist. Malden, MA Wiley-Blackwell (2009).
Power, David N. The Eucharistic Mystery: Revitalizing the Tradition
Rosen, Ceil and Moishe. Christ in the Passover: Why is this Night Different? Written by
a Jewish couple who are trying bring their heritage together with their Christian faith, this book gives a rounded richness to a Christian celebration of the Passover.
Schmemann, Alexander. For the Life of the World. A brief but brilliant exposition of
the theological meaning of food, centered on the Eucharist, by one of the greatest of recent Orthodox theologians.
Smith, Dennis E. From Symposium to Eucharist: The Banquet in the Early Christian World. An often-referenced book: Smith discusses the cultural patterns of meals in the Greco-Roman world and the possible insight they give to the Eucharist meal.
Stamps, Robert Julian. The Sacrament of the Word Made Flesh: The Eucharistic Theology of Thomas F. Torrance. Edinburgh : Rutherford House (2007)
Starenko, Ronald C. Eat, Drink and Be Merry. St. Louis: Concordia (1971). On the need to be human in our celebration of the Eucharist.
Wainwright, Geoffrey. Eucharist and Eschatology.
Wright, Tom. The Meal Jesus Gave Us: Understanding Holy Communion.
Also the thief on the cross who believed but was never baptized, however Jesus assured him he would be with him in paradise
or said another way, God is never constrained by his own laws or sacraments.
Thanks again, Rosie.
I agree that we should not make baptism a divisive issue between believers... If the other person takes a divisive stance, then we must respond, but we can do so with love and scriptural reference.
As an update, the Logos "baptism collection" is stellar. (At least one of the books has a 5-star rating on Amazon.) There are two paragraphs on my particular concern, but it is worded with helpful clarity. Because there are so many aspects related to baptism, these particular resources proved to be worthwhile.
Thanks for the book suggestions. They definitely pointed me in the right direction.
I did a search for baptism in my Church History collection, and these are the most significant sections that come up:
I read this entire thread and once again Rosie, your helpfulness and the effort you put forth to answer questions amazes me.
I have no idea where you find the time, but your consistent efforts on this board make it clear that you consider helping so many of us a ministry.
Thank you for your wisdom, your seemingly boundless commitment in time and energy, and your loving spirit. For one with so many posts, it's amazing how many of them are such a blessing to so many. God bless you.
Mike (who would post more, but genuinely doesn't know how to help in most cases, and so remains quiet)
Windows PC - Android Phone - Surface Pro 4
Edit: I looked on Wikipedia - I didn't know there were so many diverse opinions. I'd only known of:
It doesn't take much. Even just those are responsible for a large amount of the divisiveness over baptism. And for some people, some of those questions are really big deals, questions of obedience vs. disobedience to God, or even whether one is really saved or not.
Do any of your resources discuss who can administer baptism?
Thanks to MJ's mention of the Wikipedia article, I looked there and saw that it's got a pretty lengthy section on Officiator (who can administer baptism) which shows you some of the diversity in different branches of Christianity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism#Officiator
I read this entire thread and once again Rosie, your helpfulness and the effort you put forth to answer questions amazes me.
I have no idea where you find the time, but your consistent efforts on this board make it clear that you consider helping so many of us a ministry.
Yes, I do consider it a ministry. I find the time by cheating myself on sleep sometimes, procrastinating on other things I "should" be doing, and the fact that I don't have full-time employement so I do have a lot of discretionary time on my hands. I just choose to use a lot of it on helping others because I enjoy doing that, and I learn a lot in the process. And somewhere, even if only in the hereafter, there must be a prize for reaching 10,000 posts... [;)]
I am doing some research on baptism in church history. What would you suggest as the best Logos resource for this topic?
thanks!
Joel,
Jack Cottrell has a great little book called "Baptism: A Biblical Study" in Logos and Dr. Everett Ferguson has a book entitled: "The Church of Christ" that has a section on baptism. Alan Cairns book "Dictionary of Theological Terms" has a few references to Baptism. The "NET Bible Notes" has quite a few references to Baptism. The "Apologetics Study Bible" has some interesting thoughts on Baptism and how it is often used/abused by other groups. Lots of references in the Early Church Fathers.
In doing a quick search by just typing "Baptism" into a basic search yielded over 46,000 references in my library in a matter of 3 seconds. I did not refine that search any further, but I'm sure that if you will do a similar search you can drill down to what you want/need in no time at all.
Good hunting.
I've found Beasley-Murray's work on baptism, Baptism A New Testament Study, to be a definitive and comprehensive work. It should be able to answer most of your questions with historical precedents - - all in one volume.
Here's the link http://www.logos.com/product/7211/baptism-in-the-new-testament
Also, the Ante-Nicene Fathers provide plenty of early commentary on biblical passages about baptism. Look at Irenaeus, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, and Clement of Alexandria. It's all found in the Early Church Fathers Protestant collection in volumes 1-10. http://www.logos.com/product/5771/early-church-fathers-protestant-edition
I am doing some research on baptism in church history. What would you suggest as the best Logos resource for this topic?
thanks!
One of the best is Jack Cottrell's volume. It's cheap but very useful: http://www.logos.com/product/7934/baptism-a-biblical-study
Also the thief on the cross who believed but was never baptized, however Jesus assured him he would be with him in paradise. In all of this, I believe our God is gracious.I agree with you, our God is gracious.
One answer to the thief/paradise/baptism question is: Because Jesus had not yet risen from the dead the thief dies under the old covenant and went to paradise ("Abraham's bosom", Sheol, the abode of the dead.) Once Christ had resurrected, paradise was emptied and the ordinance of baptism a-la-Romans 6 kicks in and joins him to the body of Christ.
Somehow, I'd missed this as a divisive subject - do you have a reference re: history of baptism among the Protestants? I'd be interested.One very interesting case to consider is one you may well be familiar with. Thomas Campbell & his son Alexander were baptized as infants in the Presbyterian Church in Scotland . When they were later convinced pedo-baptism was not valid because the infant had not chosen to be baptized, they were faced with a catch-22. Who could administer scriptural baptism to Thomas & Alexander? (& their other church members?) They assumed only a baptized believer could administer scriptural baptism to a candidate. They solved their problem by asking the local Baptist minister to baptize them. (Interesting because Baptists use baptism to join the local congregation; something Thomas and Alexander Campbell had already spilt from. They had previously been members of the Baptist congregation until an amicable parting.) This also brings up the question of "Baptist succession" and the licensing of ministers to preach and baptize.
Later, when Alexander was out circuit preaching, his unbaptized son drowned in the pond at Bethany (their home.) The "faith-only crowd chided Alexander with letters to The Millennial Harbinger asking if baptism is necessary for salvation like Alexander taught it was, did this not mean his son was lost? Alexander finally said his son had wanted to be baptized but obedient to his father's directive, was waiting till he was older. So his obedience to his earthly father was somehow reckoned as substitutionary for the time being. (I liken it to Covenant theology - the children of the righteous are reckoned as righteous while the children of the wicked are reckoned wicked.)
One of the best is Jack Cottrell's volume.I agree.
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
(I liken it to Covenant theology - the children of the righteous are
reckoned as righteous while the children of the wicked are reckoned
wicked.).but this is perhaps not the most fair treatment of covenant theology.
I didn't say that .... Matthew did
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
but this is perhaps not the most fair treatment of covenant theology.
No, it is not. I meant it as a brazen example through satire. It demonstrates how people can easily misunderstand or sometimes intentionally misrepresent others' viewpoints to sway the uninformed to their specific interpretation.
The more resources we have to educate and discuss, the better we will understand each other. The threads about Atonement, baptism or inspiration of scripture open a lot of dialogue. I just chose Covenant theology because it has a remote descriptive application to what Alexander Campbell seems to have defaulted to. I really expected to hears cries of protest from my Campbellite heritage friends, not my Reformed friends. There was no insult intended to either group though. Bless you for not demanding my head.
added:
and none can claim to have the complete and total answer on who God really is...
You'd be shocked how some try to make that claim. [:D]
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
There are many good resources, depending on what you are looking for and what you have in your library. One resource I have found interesting related to a discussion of Baptism in the early church is the Didache. If you have this resource it is worth reading The Didache
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