Bede, Baptism and His Homily for the Octave of Pentecost
In his homily for the Octave of Pentecost on Jn. 3:1-16, Bede’s exegesis on Jn. 3:3-6 presents a discourse on the visible and invisible aspects of the sacrament that reflects patristic ideas on the divine outcome of spiritual rebirth. His theological perspective in relation to baptism is manifest in...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brepols
[2020]
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| In: |
Revue bénédictine
Year: 2020, Volume: 130, Issue: 1, Pages: 74-111 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Johannesevangelium 3,1-16
/ Beda, Saint 672-735
/ Homily
/ Baptism
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| IxTheo Classification: | HC New Testament KAD Church history 500-900; early Middle Ages NBP Sacramentology; sacraments RE Homiletics |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | In his homily for the Octave of Pentecost on Jn. 3:1-16, Bede’s exegesis on Jn. 3:3-6 presents a discourse on the visible and invisible aspects of the sacrament that reflects patristic ideas on the divine outcome of spiritual rebirth. His theological perspective in relation to baptism is manifest in the consistent emphasis on the critical importance of the sacrament in his work. Theological ideas about baptism as taught in his homily are perceptible in references to baptism in the Historia Ecclesiastica including the accounts of the conversion and baptism of kings. Exploration of Bede’s homiletic thought on baptism takes into account the liturgical occasion for which it was preached. An examination of patristic commentary in relation to Pentecost shows that baptism was a significant factor in its liturgical spirituality. Exploration of the figure of the octave and the eighth day as symbolic of resurrection and eternity in patristic writing indicates that similar themes and linked ideas re-emerge in Insular theology and elsewhere in Bede’s work. Such analyses enlarge the thematic frame of reference within which Bede’s preaching on baptism may be considered. Patristic thought and exegesis provide the sources for his interpretation of the Johannine text and the theological structure of his sermon. Concepts that originated in patristic scholarship are recognized in Bede’s apprehension of baptism as both the inauguration of spiritual life and the portent of its divine conclusion. |
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| ISSN: | 2295-9009 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Revue bénédictine
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1484/J.RB.5.120203 |