Baptism in the Early Church: History, Households, and Justin Martyr with Andrew Koperski

That’ll Preach

In this episode, we’re joined by Andrew Koperski (Hillsdale College, Ad Fontes) to explore one of the most debated and often misunderstood practices in the history of Christianity: baptism. Drawing from his in-depth research, Andrew takes us through the earliest Christian sources—from Second Temple Judaism to Justin Martyr, and from household baptisms to the evolving liturgical traditions of the early church.

We discuss:

• Did the earliest Christians baptize infants or only professing believers?

• How did the theology of the church fathers evolve and adapt to the shifting environment of the Roman Empire?

• What role does sociology play in the development of infant baptism?

• Why modern categories of “credobaptist” and “paedobaptist” may not neatly map onto the early church.

Resources from this episode:

Justin Martyr: Ostensible Credobaptist?
https://adfontesjournal.com/andrew-koperski/justin-martyr-ostensible-credobaptist/

Baptismal Trajectories in Early Christianity (Part I): The Liturgical Dark Age & Second Temple Judaism
https://adfontesjournal.com/church-history/baptismal-trajectories-in-early-christianity-part-i-the-liturgical-dark-age-and-second-temple-judaism/

Part II: Households, Tertullian, and Archeology
https://adfontesjournal.com/church-history/baptismal-trajectories-in-early-christianity-part-ii-households-tertullian-and-archeology/

Part III: Toward an Explanation
https://adfontesjournal.com/church-history/baptismal-trajectories-in-early-christianity-part-iii-toward-an-explanation/

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