Robin Jensen's monograph on the imagery and symbolism of early Christian baptism is a revised version of her dissertation, originally completed in 1991. Jensen's motivation for her study is the conviction that the texts typically used to understand the rite present only half the story. The visual representations and architecture should be treated as primary sources along side of the textual evidence.
The first two chapters examine baptismal imagery in a funerary context. The first focuses on imagery found in third and fourth century catacombs. Many of the scenes in the catacombs depict a large male (attired in animal skin, exomis tunic, or long tunic with pallium) standing beside a smaller, naked figure. Water and a dove usually appear. It is unclear whether these scenes represent Jesus' baptism or that of an initiate, for the images precisely correspond neither to the gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism nor to what we know about the ritual practice of the time. Besides the baptismal scenes, the catacombs also feature a limited array of biblical scenes. Jensen suggests that, in the funereal context in which they appear, all of them allude in one way or another to Christian teachings regarding death and the afterlife. Jensen further argues that all of the imagery, including the scene featuring the rite of baptism itself, was intended to remind viewers of the scriptural accounts but also encourage them to draw a deeper understanding of these stories in light of their own baptismal experience.
The second chapter focuses on baptismal imagery on sarcophagi. Jensen breaks the imagery down into four categories that correspond thematically and chronologically. She then traces a trajectory from early allegorical or typological imagery to later, more narrative and less symbolic imagery. This iconic trajectory, Jensen suggests, mirrors a development in the theological understanding of the rite's function, moving from an emphasis on individual salvation to one in which the church is understood as the mediator of salvation.
The third chapter considers the shift of baptismal imagery from a funerary to a non-funerary context. Originally, there was little distinction between the imagery in the two contexts. But, eventually, the connection with death (in catacombs and on sarcophagi) gave way to imagery—on ivory or glass and in mosaics or illuminated manuscripts—that focused on the living. The imagery began to take on a more aesthetic role and was now intended, to some extent, “to inspire, delight, or edify” (87). At the same time, the iconography based on biblical texts began to conform more closely with the narratives themselves, perhaps in part, Jensen suggests, because of the rise of illuminated Bibles.
In the fourth chapter, Jensen considers the imagery in conversation with liturgical texts. Ultimately, she concludes that the correspondence between the rite as depicted in images and as represented in Christian texts is relatively small. Nevertheless, she insists that in certain areas, the iconography and the texts can be used to interpret one another. For example, while liturgical texts consistently emphasize the importance of the full immersion of the candidate, the contemporaneous imagery (which often depicts affusion rather than immersion) suggests that pouring water over the initiate's head likely reflects the actual ritual practice. Conversely, the inclusion of several persons in some of the baptismal imagery—along with John the Baptist—probably points to the presence of sponsors or assistants at an initiate's baptism.
The fifth and sixth chapters turn to the architecture of baptismal sites. The fifth focuses on the physical characteristics of baptisteries and their fonts. Early Christian baptisteries showed significant variation. Some were free-standing while others were incorporated into churches. Of the latter, there existed no standard location for the baptistery. Similarly, the font shapes varied considerably. They could be square, rectangular, round, polygonal, cruciform, or lip-shaped (possibly meant to suggest a woman's vulva). But regardless of the variation, the decorative motifs in the baptisteries and on the fonts were relatively consistent.
In the final chapter, Jensen explores the possible meaning behind the architecture of the baptisteries and the fonts as well as their decorative imagery (for example, deer drinking, candles, fruit-bearing trees, birds, and so forth). She concludes that the symbolism of both the architecture and the decorative imagery conforms to the meaning given to baptism in contemporary written material and so the initiate's theological understanding of his or her own baptism was reinforced by both the architecture and decorative imagery of the baptistery and font.
Jensen compiles an impressive amount of iconographic and architectural data in this work. Readers—particularly those who spend most of their time interpreting texts rather than images—will be introduced to a treasure trove of fascinating material. The book is packed with photographs and illustrations. Jensen's prose is clear, her arguments well-documented, and her conclusions sound. Nevertheless, a few criticisms are in order.
First, the book focuses on the western church due to the paucity of extant early imagery in the east, as Jensen herself admits in the introduction. However, she neglects to later acknowledge that her conclusions may not necessarily hold across the geographical spectrum of early Christianity. Second, a glossary would have proven helpful. While Jensen defines some of the technical terms, many more will remain unfamiliar to the non-specialist. Third, the book would have been aided by a concluding chapter. Although Jensen draws conclusions at the end of each chapter, readers would have benefitted from a final chapter pulling together the work as a whole. Finally, the book is marred by a number of small mistakes that should have been caught by the copy editor, mostly toward the book's end. While the majority of these errors are not overly significant, a few engender confusion. For example, one particular baptismal font is described in the text as having seven lobes. But, the accompanying figure only shows six (220–21).
All of these criticisms, however, are minor in comparison to the great wealth of information that Jensen presents in her work. This book will be of interest to anyone who studies the history of the early church, Christian symbolism, or Christian ritual. It should be included in all university and seminary libraries.
