Living Water

Images, Symbols, and Settings of Early Christian Baptism
Erscheinungsjahr 2010
ISBN: 978-90-04-18898-3
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 105, 312 Seiten, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 239 mm, Gewicht: 658 g

Reihe: Vigiliae Christianae, Supplements

This general survey of early Christian baptismal iconography and architecture integrates visual depictions and physical settings of baptism with textual evidence for its practice and purpose. An opening overview of pictorial art (paintings, relief sculpture, mosaics, and ivories) prompts questions about components of the actual ritual which are treated in the literary sources. The study’s second half considers selected baptismal structures, examining the symbolism, purpose, and possible meaning of their spatial design and decorative programs. In most instances the synthesis of documentary and material evidence is enriching and complementary. However, even when physical and textual data diverge, their discontinuity demonstrates the variability of ritual performance and the perennial distinction between ideal and actual practice.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Jensen, Robin

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Kirchengeschichte Frühes Christentum, Patristik, Christliche Archäologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Praktische Theologie Liturgik, Christliche Anbetung, Sakramente, Rituale, Feiertage

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Baptismal Iconography in Catacomb Painting
Chapter 2: Baptismal Iconography on Sarcophagus and Grave Reliefs
Chapter 3: Baptismal Iconography in Ivory, Glass, and Mosaic
Chapter 4: Aspects of Baptism Images in Light of Early Liturgical Documents
Chapter 5: The Design and Decoration of Early Christian Baptismal Spaces
Chapter 6: Symbolism in Baptistery Design and Décor

Über Autor(innen)

Robin M. Jensen, Ph.D (1991), Columbia University is Luce Chancellor's Professor of the History of Christian Art and Worship at Vanderbilt University. Her publications include Understanding Early Christian Art (Routledge, 2000) and Face to Face: The Portrait of the Divine in Early Christianity (Fortress, 2005).