The Photisterion in Late Antiquity
Reconsidering Terminology for Sites and Rites of Initiation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10080441 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Peppard (Fordham University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 463-483 |
| Publication date | 2019-09-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0469 • E-ISSN: 1469-7637 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0022046919000642 |
| OpenAlex | W2973396318 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 9 |
What is a photisterion? Translators usually render the Greek word phōtistērion (site of illumination) as ‘baptistery’ (site of immersion in water). This article reopens the study of phōtistēria, arguing that being ‘immersed’ or ‘illuminated’ evokes different senses of the concomitant meaning of the sites and rites of initiation. It situates late ancient phōtistēria from epigraphic and literary sources in their theological and liturgical contexts. The evidence from Galilee, Syria, Jordan and Cyprus corroborates the idea that many Christians of late antiquity preferred ‘illumination’ to express the composite rite of initiation in a phōtistērion, within which ‘baptism’ was one part
Ancient history · Art · Baptism · Late Antiquity · Linguistics · Literature · Terminology · Theology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Historical and Linguistic Studies · History · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |