Baptismal fonts were necessary to the liturgical life of the medieval Christian. Baptism marked the entrance of the faithful into the right relation, with the Catholic Church representing the main cultural institution of medieval society. In the period between ca. 1050 and ca. 1220, the decoration of the font often had an important function: to underscore the theology of baptism in the context of the sacraments of the Catholic Church. This period witnessed a surge of concern about sacraments. Just as religious thinkers attempted to delineate the sacraments and define their function in sermons and Sentence collections, sculptural programs visualized the teaching of orthodox ideas for the lay audience. This book looks at three areas of primary concern around baptism as a sacrament - incarnation, initiation, and the practice of baptism within the institution of the Church - and the images that embody that religious discussion. Baptismal fonts have been recognized as part of the stylistic production of the Romanesque period, and their iconography has been generally explored as moral and didactic. Here, the message of these fonts is set within a very specific history of medieval Catholic sacramental theology, connecting erudite thinkers and lay users through their decoration and use.

A hands-on guide to the Common Worship Initiation services including Baptism, Confirmation and Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child. It offers straightforward and realistic ideas about how to make the services work in your church. Drawing on her parish experience, Gilly Myers includes imaginative suggestions for a range of local situations, grounded in the thinking behind the new provisions. The features of the services are set out clearly, identifying the differences from ASB and BCP and highlighting questions such as how to handle the range of options and the use of images. Using Common Worship - Initiation Services balances practical tips with theological grounding in a way that will enable parishes to make the most of the opportunities of Common Worship as a whole.