Housekeeping
Business:
·
Event
at the Numen Lumen Pavilion tomorrow (Wednesday, February 24) at 5:30: Do
Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? There’s pizza!!
·
If
you want feedback on your first site visit report, it is best to get it done
around the Midterm time.
o
If
you are planning on visiting a site over Spring Break, let Dr. Huber know
beforehand.
Class Notes:
Early Christian Baptism in Context
·
Jenson is talking about the Gospels--> They are written in the 1st
century.
o
Jesus’
Baptism
o
But
her work encompasses the 4-6th centuries as well.
·
Baptism
in Context
o
Historical
Context
§
Jewish
Purification Rites
§
Next
Class: Roman Bathing Practices/Rituals
o
Early
Christian Context
§
Really
think about how the Christian rite of Baptism is modeled and not modeled on
Jewish rites of purification
§ Also how are they modeled and not modeled on Jesus’ Baptism in the Gospel
·
Jewish
Purification Rites: Second Temple Period
o
Ablutions
of Ritual Impurity
§
Three
types:
·
Hands--> before
eating
·
Hands
and feet --> priest before entering the Temple
·
Fully
body
o
Not because of sins
o
It
is done because of ritual impurity- “a state of not being pure”
§
Period
of your life when you are ritually impure
·
I.e.
Menstruation, touching a corpse, sexual intercourse
·
Things
that involve being on the boundary of life and death
·
During
this time, you are not supposed to do certain actions
·
But
it’s pretty much unavoidable--> all of these happen
o
The
ablution is the thing that takes you from the state of life and death to fully
in the realm of life
o
Dominate
understanding of ritual purification
o
Increase
in Purity Concerns
§
Hellenization/Roman
Presence
·
What
does it mean to be Jewish?
·
Especially
because some people are trying to conform to the majority culture
§
Blurring
of identity between Jewish and Gentile
·
So
rituals that are boundary markers increase
·
Increase
of purity rituals--> “These acts distinguish us from the
Gentiles; they mark us as Jewish.”
o
Numerous
mikva’ot (mikvahs)
§
Pool
for doing the ablutions
§
Many
houses had individual mikvah
§
Deep
enough that you could fully immerse yourself
§
There
are also communal mikva’ot and some before temples
o
Moral
Impurity
§
Ablutions
for “sins”
§
Associated
with John the Baptist
§
Associated
with early Christians
·
Not
the only people, but the two main groups
o
Communities
of Purity
§
Christians
§
Essenes
at Qumran
·
Sect
of Jews who are very concerned with purity
·
Dead
Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran (desert)
·
Communal
immersion very often
§
Because
ritual purity and ablutions has become
“thing,” Christians are in dialogue with the surrounding cultures.
§
Also,
Muslims do similar practices.
·
The
Baptism of Jesus in Mark
o
Mark
is the earliest Gospel, 70 CE.
o
Mark,
Matthew, and Luke are the synoptic
gospels. It means “see together.”
§
Mark
is the narrative background for Matthew and Luke--> they probably borrowed material from
Mark and a hypothetical source called “Q.”
·
Q =
“Quella” = source in German
·
They
redact Mark. Add things, take things out
o
By
looking at certain decisions, readers can get a sense of how early Christians
are understanding different issues.
·
Written
in the 80s-90s CE
§
They
are really similar- timeline, Jesus’s ministry, etc.
o
Gospel
of John does not follow Mark.
o
Mark
1:4-11 (see handout)
§
John
baptizes for moral impurity--> different than other Jews at this time
period.
§
Early
Christianity baptism puts you in a particular group, but in this case, we do
not know if this is the case for John the Baptist.
§
People
are coming from all over
§
How
do early Christians relate Baptism back to this narrative?
·
Jenson
points out that although early Christians are using this event as a model, they
are still keeping the water baptism, even
though John the Baptist says Jesus will baptize with spirit.
·
Talk
about water and spirit
·
A
lot of steps in the early Christian baptism
o
For
40 days, they do not bathe.
§
And
then they bathe for getting baptized.
o
Exorcism
of demons--> there is a real fear of demons during this time period.
People are seen as porous and therefore, demons can enter you. Demons are
attracted to water.
§
Women
are more vulnerable to demons because the feminine is more porous.
o
Given
salt
o
Abstain
from sex, rich foods, etc.--> focus on simplicity
·
A
catechumen is someone who has decided to become a part of the tradition and is
being taught the tradition.
·
In
the ancient world, children are not as important as they are today.
o
Matthew
3:1-17
§
Connecting
Jesus’ claim to Old Testament prophets--> Isaiah
§
The
whole thing is more intense
·
Calling
not just for repentance, but also an apocalyptic narrative towards it
o
Things
are at the end, so you better be baptized
§
“You
are my Son” in Mark vs. “This is my Son” in Matthew
§
There
is a distinction between groups because of the mention of Pharisees and
Sadducees
·
There
are intra-Jewish distinctions being made
·
John
feels that they are not worthy of baptism
§
Verse
14: John asking Jesus why he is coming to him for baptism?: What does Jenson
say about this reveal?
·
Addressing
the early Christianity issue about why Jesus needed to be baptized.
o
Especially
since John’s baptism is about moral purity, not just ritual
o
Possible
reasons why he was baptized?
§
Water
is made holy
§
Revelatory
act--> voice from Heaven
§
Showing
Jesus’ humanity
·
Becomes
part of the arguments about the Trinity
§
Modeling
baptism
§
If
Christ is baptized, humans can be saved
o
John
1:19-36
§
You
do not see an actual baptism of Jesus in this gospel.
§
John
is the latest of these texts, suggesting that early Christians had an issue
with the baptism of Jesus.
·
How
is early Christian baptism modeled/not modeled on Jewish purification rites?
o
Dominate
form of Jewish purification rites are due to ritual pureness, and Christianity
is mostly about moral purity
o
Jewish
rites are done more than once, and Christians are baptized only once
§
Issue
of re-baptism--> Shepherd Of Hermas
says you can do it twice
·
Baptism
in Early Christian Imagery
o
Baptism
of Christ
§
Arian
Baptistery in Ravenna displays a beautiful mosaic
·
Figure
on the left is probably a personification of the River Jordan
·
Jesus
is depicted as a youth--> “You are my Son”
o
Maybe
supposed to image that one becomes innocent and “young” through the act of
Baptism
o
His
body is also not hidden--> affirmation of his humanity
o
What
biblical stories are used to illustrate baptism?
§
Noah
and the Ark (square box) and the Burning of 3 Youths
·
It
is the lid to a sarcophagus
·
How
does this image relate to baptism?
o
Noah’s
story becomes an allegory for baptism
o
3
Youths --> purification by fire
o
Put
together, suggests the possibility for Christian baptism
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