RT Article
T1 ‘Trembling and groaning depart’: Disputing the devil in Christian baptism
JF Theology
VO 118
IS 5
SP 331
OP 337
A1 French, Anna
LA English
YR 2015
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1784161748
AB Recent Church of England discussions have debated the appropriateness of mentioning the devil during baptism. Asking godparents to shun Satan and his works on behalf of the newly baptized may, it has been suggested, confuse members of the congregation. This article explores these issues, arguing that controversies surrounding the role of the devil at the font are not new. Protestant Reformers in the sixteenth century were similarly wary of mentioning his name or misleading spectators. For early modern theologians, the issue was less about ‘putting off’ those sitting in pews and more about avoiding the implication that baptism was a magical seal that would protect the participant from the devil’s works without question. This article will consider contemporary and early modern disputes surrounding the devil and baptism.
K1 Salvation
K1 Reformation
K1 Liturgy
K1 General Synod
K1 Early Modern
K1 Devil
K1 Baptism
DO 10.1177/0040571X15588169