Baptism and Baptisteries: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Christian Initiation from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, Labex RESMED/Sorbonne Université/UMR 8167 Orient & Méditerranée via Zoom, November 12–13, 2020
Christian initiation has long been a subject of historical research. Numerous studies have been carried out from different perspectives: on the one hand, scholars have investigated the different theological, exegetical, and liturgical traditions with the aim of reconstructing ritual practices; on the other hand, architectural typologies of baptisteries and their ornamentation have been analysed and connected to the liturgical practices known from written sources, albeit not always with satisfactory results.
On the occasion of this meeting dedicated to baptism and baptisteries, we intend to highlight the spatialization of baptismal rituals and their evolution between Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, by comparing different geographical areas within the boundaries of the Roman Empire and its neighbouring regions. Through the dialogue between written sources and archaeology, we would like to investigate whether baptismal practices could assert regional or confessional Christian identities.
Advance registration required. Registration closes November 5, 2020.