Monday, May 16, 2011

Baptism Barclay Style

RantWoman needs to get a Barclay bit out of her system enroute to something else. RantWoman is still glad to be slogging through Barclay's Apology. RantWoman is glad she is doing so in the company of others and also glad not to be doing so in pursuit of any kind of grade. RantWoman is not sure how the last episode of the reading group got from Barclay to comparing elements of different Yearly Meetings' Faith and Practice. RantWoman would not have minded being more awake for wherever the reading led.

Bullet points:
--One reader used the word "tired." The chapter on Baptism is flabbily deficient in the kind of invective that makes some of the other chapters both such a slog and occasionally such a delight to read.

--"Whatever other sects are doing, they are doing it wrong."

--Perhaps this is because they did not have the benefit of wisdom from Walking Encyclopedia Friend. Walking Encyclopedia Friend observed that the word used in Greek for baptism is the translation chosen for the Hebrew word for ritual bath, mikva.RantWoman finds this point fascinating but is going to have to let things seep around in her brain for a bit on the off chance that seepage will eventually lead to greater clarity about water baptism and baptism by fire

1 comment:

  1. Gleaning from notes I took from Kathleen Norris' The Cloister Walk, I jotted down that photismos was the ancient word for baptism and shares with the word photosynthesis the root 'phot' denoting light. Water baptism, baptism by fire, and now I'm throwing in baptism in light for you. I was baptised in water in childhood and now in adulthood, Quakerism has led me to receive baptisms in Light – no intermediary required!

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