Christian Traditions
2/25/2016
Phoenix – symbolizes rebirth – baptism
Second Temple period – bathing was ritual cleansing rather
than cleansing of sin
Early Christians – Jesus baptized for repentance of sin –
question why he would need this
Roman Bathing
·
Public bathing
o
Very important in roman culture
·
Hygiene as an avenue for cultivating virtue
o
Hygiene very important – related to your virtue
o
Making yourself more virtuous
o
Use models and inscriptions – virtues you are
supposed to have
o
Virtuous if
you give money to community
·
Often have gymnasiums connected to the bath
o
Men taught to cultivate honor, strength, courage
·
Bathing as an important social and religious
event
o
Engage with other people in social groups
o
Where business, political, social connections
occur
·
Importance of bathing as ritual action
o
Bathing before the main meal in the
late-afternoon
·
Jews also practice Roman Bathing
·
Bath – Ancient Roman City
·
Bath complexes very large
o
Have classrooms for lectures, speakers
§
Feeding the mind as well
o
Sometimes have libraries
o
Men will have junior high schooling at the baths
·
Constructing communal identities
·
Made accessible to wide range of people from
different classes
o
Penny or half-penny
·
Baths are class specific
o
Nicer baths for higher classes
·
Religion part of the bathing experience
·
Probably young men are 12-13
·
Some periods of roman history there is mixed
gender bathing
o
Other times in history, separate baths or
separate times
·
Baths associated with masculinity
·
Baths of Caracalla – one of the biggest baths in
Rome
·
Ritual: Go to the gym ® pool ® cold bath ® tepid bath ® hot bath
·
Anointed with oil
o
Jesus – “anointed one”
·
Go to the gym to form your mind
o
Some more into the physical aspects than the
mental side of the gym
·
Hypocaust
o
System in which steam pumped under the floor
o
Heated from below and from the sides
·
Can still go to roman baths today in turkey
·
Slaves or hired people to stoke fires
·
Women are porous or cold
·
Caldarium – hot room
o
Like a sauna
Baptisteries
·
St John Lateran – one of the oldest baptisteries
o
Baptisteries next to church
o
Baptism brings you into church – so you don’t go
in until you are baptized
·
Houses turned into worship spaces
·
Constantine – first emperor to allow Christianity
o
Purpose built churches
§
Baptism
·
Basilica – public building
o
Converted into churches
·
Baptisteries round and octagonal
What are the similarities between baptism and bathing in the
Roman world?
·
Both done for cleansing and purifying purposes
·
Naked or nude
·
Anointing – athlete, soldier – battle of good
and evil
·
Initiation into a community
·
Ritualized action
What are the differences?
·
Ideally happens once in Christianity/constant
initiation in Rome
·
Rumors about early Christians –
o
Accused of incest, cannibalism
·
Use of familial languages
Baptism creates a community – but separates themselves from
other communities
What are different ideas associated with baptism in early
Christianity?
·
What ideas are associated with the individual?
·
What ideas are associated with the community?
Names for baptized Christians
·
Athlete
·
Soldier
·
Fish
o
Important imagery
·
Lamb
o
Jesus as a good shepherd
o
(priests often talked about as shepherd of the
cross)
·
Citimen
Images
·
Jesus as a shepherd
o
In this depiction – no beard, no halo
§
Appears like a typical roman man
·
Comb
·
Fish
·
Noah
·
(quality depends on the money you have to spend on
it)
·
associated with baptism, but also just Christian
What are the functions of baptism in early Christianity?
What does it do for or even to people? Individually and community?
·
Reversing of original sin
·
Not being able to come back
·
Social isolation from past – biological
·
Are there any risks associated with baptism?
What is the connection between Baptism and death?
·
Romans 6 – Paul
o
Baptized into Christ’s death
·
Baptistery
o
Image – cross shaped baptistery
·
Physically experiencing being buried by water
·
Three steps into the baptistery – Jesus took
three days to rise
·
Into and out of the grave in death
·
Baptistery
o
Whole building
·
Ceiling
o
Image – kyro – sign of Christ
o
Image of woman at well – drawing water
o
Jesus gives living water that makes you never
thirst again
o
Water alludes to baptism
·
Ceiling #2
o
Martyrdom
§
Wreathes
§
Baptized in blood
§
Physically dead – spiritually alive
§
Entering a cosmic community when baptized
·
Image of Jesus raising Lazarus
o
Called out of the tomb by Christ
