<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In the 20th century, both in the East, but mostly in the West, a genuine movement of patristic and liturgical renewal took shape, aiming to establish as to what degree the theological discourse and the liturgical life of the Church today corresponds to the spirit and the practice of the Church of the first centuries. In this spirit, the question was often asked if the generalization of infant baptism in the West (5th century), but also in the East (6th century), was influenced by the theory of “original sin” and the Augustinian “bogeyman” concerning the inevitable condemnation to hell of all who die unbaptized. In his book “Of Water and the Spirit”, Father Alexander Schmemann briefly touches, but does not fully develop the subject, and fails to reach any clear conclusions. In the current study we tried, as much as was possible, to follow the roots and dogmatical consequences of this theory, and also to discern its ensuing consequences on baptismal rites and texts, as well as other practical and canonical implications, like the importance of baptismal immersion.</p>
</abstract>

In the 20th century, both in the East, but mostly in the West, a genuine movement of patristic and liturgical renewal took shape, aiming to establish as to what degree the theological discourse and the liturgical life of the Church today corresponds to the spirit and the practice of the Church of the first centuries. In this spirit, the question was often asked if the generalization of infant baptism in the West (5th century), but also in the East (6th century), was influenced by the theory of “original sin” and the Augustinian “bogeyman” concerning the inevitable condemnation to hell of all who die unbaptized. In his book “Of Water and the Spirit”, Father Alexander Schmemann briefly touches, but does not fully develop the subject, and fails to reach any clear conclusions. In the current study we tried, as much as was possible, to follow the roots and dogmatical consequences of this theory, and also to discern its ensuing consequences on baptismal rites and texts, as well as other practical and canonical implications, like the importance of baptismal immersion.

The Doctrine of Original Sin and its Influence on the Theology and Practice of Baptism

Docent at the &eology Faculty of the Portuguese Catholic University

Review of Ecumenical Studies Sibiu

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

In the 20th century, both in the East, but mostly in the West, a genuine movement of patristic and liturgical renewal took shape, aiming to establish as to...

The Doctrine of Original Sin and its Influence on the Theology and Practice of Baptism

Published Online: Jun 14, 2023

Page range: 81 - 104

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2023-0105

Keywords
Baptism, Immersion, Infants, Liturgy, Original Sin

© 2023 Petru-Mihail Pruteanu, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Doctrine of Original Sin and its Influence on the Theology and Practice of Baptism

Published Online: Jun 14, 2023

Page range: 81 - 104

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2023-0105

KeywordsBaptism, Immersion, Infants, Liturgy, Original Sin

© 2023 Petru-Mihail Pruteanu, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Baptism, Immersion, Infants, Liturgy, Original Sin