SOR ASSESSMENT II:
RESEARCH ESSAY
SOR ASSESSMENT II:
RESEARCH ESSAY

“Rites of passage in Christianity allow adherents to obtain deeper knowledge and beliefs about their religion”
How does this statement explain the significance of baptism for the Christian community and the individual?
Baptism allows adherents of Christianity to acquire a deeper understanding and resonate with the beliefs of their religion. Baptism refers to the religious rite of passage involving the application of water in association with an individual’s admission to the Christian Church. It is a significant rite practiced by a majority of Christian adherents with the exception of Quakers and followers of The Salvation Army. In many denominations, baptism is performed on young children and is accompanied by name-giving, referred to as ‘Infant Baptism’. These denominational families include Catholics, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians and other Reformed denominations, Methodists and some Nazarenes, as well as the Moravian Church. Another form of baptism involves the initiation of adults and is referred to as ‘Believers Baptism’ practised by a minority of Christians including Protestants and followers of the Pentecostal and Baptists sect. A key concept in believer's baptism is that a credible profession of faith must be given by the recipient before baptism. The American Baptist Church, for example, declares: "We insist that baptism be administered only to those who have the maturity to understand its profound significance: resurrection to new life in Christ”. All major denominations use water as a part of the purification ritual. For some this may involve full immersion (dunking)- as practised in Catholicism and Orthodoxy, while Mennonites and the Amish practice affusion which involves the sprinkling of water. Whereas, aspersion involves the pouring of