Most Christians would say that baptism is the one sacrament Christians of all denominations share, that it is the source of ecumenical unity among all Christian churches. But how true is that? Is there really one baptism," as we profess in the Nicene Creed? If we disagree about what baptism does, can we really say that baptism unites us? To address this central question Susan Wood brings together the history and theology of baptism (systematic, sacramental, and liturgical), focusing especially on the divergent paths taken in the understanding of the sacrament since the Reformation. Founded not only in her study of theology but also in her years of participation in ecumenical dialogues, her perspective will illuminate this problem for readers and point the way toward deeper understanding. Susan K. Wood, SCL, is professor of theology at Marquette University. Active in ecumenical work, she serves on the U. S. Lutheran 'Roman Catholic dialogue, the U. S. Roman Catholic 'Orthodox Theological Consultation, the conversation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Baptist World alliance, and the international Lutheran 'Roman Catholic Dialogue. She is an associate editor of Pro Ecclesia and serves on the editorial advisory board of the journal Ecclesiology.
". . . an excellent source for an overview of where all of the major traditions align themselves on baptism."
Catholic Studies
"The author has listened carefully to various points of view about baptism, and has presented these in a way that permits not just comparison but the emergence of new insights. She has gone far in answering her own question, 'What does baptism do?' Baptism offers a foretaste of eschatological glory. Wood shows that Christians can walk the sometimes tortuous path to that goal with mutual respect an
Worship
"Susan K. Wood's ecumenical study of our 'one Baptism' merits wide attention from systematic, historical, and liturgical theologians. Baptism and Eschatology, Baptism and Justification, Baptism and Church are just some of the topics that this liturgically grounded and readable study treats with clarity and precision. A veteran of Roman Catholic-Lutheran dialogues, Susan Wood does here what many of
