Pre-Nicene Western Christian Initiation: North Africa

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Pre-Nicene Western Christian Initiation North
Africa
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Tertullian On Baptism (c. 200 CE)

• Who candidates NOT infants or the young
  unmarried / ingressuri / novices bishop /
  presbyter / deacon
• Did (or refrained from doing) what
• Catechumenate uncertain duration prayer,
  fasting, kneeling, nightlong vigils, confession
  of past sinfulness
• Renunciation of Satan in the presence of the
  bishop
• Consecration of water Mediterranean? Baths of
  Antoninus? Church building?

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• Ingressuri accompanied by their sponsors
• Triple immersion with Trinitarian baptismal
  formula based on the Carthaginian creed
• Novices anointed with consecrated oil Head?
  Body?
• Probable signing with the cross
• Hand-laying by bishop with text welcoming the
  Holy Spirit
• Eucharist, including a cup of milk and honey
• Week of celebrations centering on the novices

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• When Pascha / Pentecost / every day 19
• Where instruction hall ? / baptismal hall ? /
  assembly hall
• What it meant
• Effective unlike Gnostic or heretical baptism
• Demonic mystery religions imitate the Christian
  rites
• Biblical types (figurae) creation of world
  from water, Israels exodus from Egypt and 40
  years wandering, John the Baptizers baptism,
  Jesus baptism and water from his side
• Wipes away guilt and the penalty of sin
• Restores the image and likeness God gave Adam in
  Paradise

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Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258 CE)

• Who baptizees / bishop
• Did (or refrained from doing) what
• Similar pattern to Tertullian, except
• Oil/chrism for post-baptismal anointing is
  consecrated on the altar during Eucharist
• Text given for one baptismal interrogation
• Post-baptismal hand-laying and signing done by
  the bishop
• When no particular feast / season
• Where no particular place

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• What it meant
• Infants should be baptized (and eucharistized)
• Post-baptismal episcopal hand-laying perfecting
  by the Lords seal is paralleled to Acts 8
• Appropriate rites for reconciliation of heretics
  (baptism)