RADU COSMIN SĂVULESCU
Doctorand, Universitatea de Vest din Timişoara, Facultatea de Litere, Istorie și Teologie;
E-mail: savulescuradu@yahoo.com
Abstract
In the Christian doctrine, Baptism represents a fundamental sacrament, being the gate through which humans enter the ecclesial community – the Church. Its importance was underlined in the New Testament by Jesus Himself and was understood as such by the Apostles. In the Early Church, although the doctrine was still developing, Baptism was considered essential for the Christian life. The main writings from this period, the Apostolic Fathers, contain several key references to the ritual and symbolism of Baptism. In this paper I tried to highlight the main aspects concerning Baptism, found in the Apostolic Fathers, with an emphasis on the ritual and particularly on the physical matter used for the sacrament – namely water.
Keywords
Baptism, Early Church, Apostolic Fathers, ritual.