Baptism is a gift from God to the church. If it is not, why make such a fuss about it? We may as well abolish the practice and thus put an end to the confusion and competing notions that surround it. Baptism is God's gift to the church, Christ's act within the church. This is a fundamental assumption. Now we must try to make sense of such a bold assertion. Few issues within the church are as controversial as baptism. By which method should it be administered? At what age? What if one changes denominations? Laurence Stookey sifts through the confusion and rhetoric to offer this practical, biblically sound guide to baptism. He examines the sacrament from historical, theological, and pastoral perspectives, and looks at how it has been altered through the ages. Stookey also suggests possible reforms, practices that need restoring and proper occasions for the service.
