La génesis del rito bautismal cristiano

Abstract

The difficulty of tracing the origins of the Christian initiatory rite of baptism has led to the search of certain analogies in the mystery religions of the Greco-Roman world and, especially, in the Jewish world (the rites of purification of the Dead Sea or in the immersion bath of the gentiles). However, it will be the baptismal praxis of John the Baptist that will become the inspiring model of Christian baptism after Easter, which became the initiatory rite par excellence of the early Christian communities for the incorporation of new members. The baptism of Jesus at the hands of John played a great influence on their Christian adoption and gave to it a new meaning by performing it in the “name of Jesus”.