The Bible and Baptism

"In The Bible and Baptism, Isaac Morales offers a sparklingly clear account of the baptismal imagery that ripples throughout Scripture. Particularly impressive is his exposition of the significance of water as a poetic figure of life, death, freedom, and purity in the Old Testament. Equally compelling is his close reading of the way in which the New Testament interprets baptism as a pointer to Christ's death and resurrection. This book not only enriches our understanding of baptism but also illuminates the way in which early Christian interpreters understood the unity of the biblical story. This is a book that deserves to be read and pondered by church study groups, theological students, and anyone who desires a deeper understanding of the sacrament of baptism."

"Fr. Morales's keen and careful scholarship on the biblical understanding of baptism leads the reader to a deep appreciation of the 'pattern of dying and rising with Christ' by which the baptized 'attains to a freedom' like no other. As Fr. Morales so ably shows, it is baptism that transforms the believer 'into a temple fit for God's dwelling.'"

"This study is both timely and traditional. Moving deftly through Scripture and drawing on Christian thought through the ages, Morales explores how central themes of Scripture are enriched through meditation on baptism in response to perennial and contemporary challenges. Thus he demonstrates that baptism, more than an initiation rite, is a call to a lifelong journey of liberation and transformation, one that requires reckoning seriously with the limitations and inevitable distortions of human existence."

"Baptism--the central Christian sacrament and, indeed, the entrance to all the other sacraments--is nevertheless often theologically understudied, even outright neglected. But in this sweeping biblical study encompassing the Old and New Testaments, Fr. Morales establishes the scriptural roots and foundation of baptism, its utter centrality in the Christian's life with God, and the ecumenical import of a biblically grounded understanding of baptism. Sound exegesis, solid theological interpretation, and salutary application make this lucidly written book a must-read for seminarians, deacons, priests, and all Christians eager to rediscover and reclaim the meaning of their own baptism. Tolle lege--take and read!"

Praise for the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments series

"Sacraments are at the heart of Catholic spirituality and liturgical life. They are celebrated in the context of the proclamation of God's Word. This excellent series will help Catholics appreciate more and more both the relationship between Word and Sacrament and how the sacraments are grounded in the riches of Scripture."

"This series shows tremendous promise and ambition in laying out the multiple living connections between the Scriptures and the sacramental life of the Church. Taken together, these books could accomplish what Jean Daniélou's The Bible and the Liturgy accomplished for a previous generation of biblical and theological scholarship. And like that work, this series gives to students of the Bible a deeply enriched view of the mesh of relationships within and between biblical texts that are brought to light by the liturgy of the sacraments."

"In recent years, theological exegesis--biblical commentary by theologians--has made a significant contribution. This series turns the tables: explicitly theological reflection by biblical scholars. The result is a breakthrough. Theologically trained, exegetically astute biblical scholars here explore the foundations of Catholic sacramental theology, along paths that will change the theological conversation. This series points the way to the theological and exegetical future."

"The sacraments come to us clothed in images that carry their mystery and propose it to our hearts. These images come from Scripture and are inspired by the Holy Spirit, who wills to transfigure us each into the full measure of Christ. The books in this series, by situating the sacraments within the scriptural imagery proper to each, will over time surely prove themselves to be agents in this work of the Spirit."