The idea of the Church as mother (whence the womb imagery) is recorded as early as Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258) in De unitate 6: "You cannot have God as your Father if you have not the Church as your mother" (trans. Maurice Bevenot in St. Cyprian: The Lapsed, The Unity of the Catholic Church in the series Ancient Christian Writers 25, pp. 48-49). Much more explicit is Philoxenus of Mabbug (ca. 440-523), Discourse 9:343. See Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit, by Kilian McDonnell and George T. Montague, p. 312 (available on google books). The baptism as exit from the womb is expressed in the design of the baptistery of the Church of Vitalis at Suffetla (modern Sbeitla). It is conventionally dated as "Byzantine" which in North Africa would mean between Justinian and the end of the seventh century. There are many photos on the internet of this baptismal font.

Maureen A. Tilley
Visiting Professor of Theology
Fordham University
113 W. 60th Street
New York, NY 10023
212-636-6369

-----medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture <[log in to unmask]> wrote: -----

To: [log in to unmask]
From: "Cormack, Margaret Jean" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent by: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 02/02/2010 03:19PM
Subject: [M-R] baptism imagery

medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Greetings all,
I was recently going over notes for a lecture on the early church, where
I had a reference to baptism as representing the womb of the Curch,
which the Holy Spirit had made fruitful.
All well and good, but I ALSO recall references to baptism as a process
of entering the grave and being reborn.
Does anyone have any insight into whether these models existed
simultaneously (if not, what would the approximate dates be? My 'womb'
reference appears to be post-Constantine - is that relevant?) Any
bibliography on the subject would also be appreciated.
Meg

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