Baptism (paperback)

In a world tossed about by uncertainties and whims over authenticity and identity, this eleventh volume of the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics series anchors Christian redemption, life, and salvation in baptism into the Holy Trinity. This book carefully and faithfully presents the biblical meaning of baptism, focusing on Scriptural teaching often overlooked by those outside of Lutheranism. Baptism is not simply a ritual of initiation into the Christian community but marks the beginning and ongoing work of the Spirit for a Christian in carrying out God's promises of forgiveness, adoption, regeneration, and sanctification in the church. The sacrament of baptism, carried out by Christ through His ministry, joins a person to Christ's death and resurrection. What is confessed in the Apostles' Creed is carried out concretely in baptism, joining a person to the Christian faith and the history of salvation. Biblical, accessible, and practical, this book explores the biblical origins and efficacy of baptism and its relationship to original sin, the Trinity, and the faith of infants. Included are pastoral sections addressing such topics as the fate of unbaptized children and whether pastors should honor all requests for baptism.