Notes 2/25/2016

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