Baptismal Regeneration 7 -- Regeneration and Conversion
Popular evangelicalism often conflates regeneration and conversion. When one has a conversion experience it is said they have been born again. This is problematic from a scriptural vantage point.
- There is nothing in the biblical text that says regeneration and conversion are the same thing.
- Conflating them confuses what the Bible does say about regeneration.
- The conflation often causes readers to see conversion in regeneration passages when it is not there.
The traditional catholic view (not Roman Catholic but ancient, consensual catholicism of the undivided church -- see my masthead.) is that regeneration happens in baptism. Conversion can happen at the same time or before it or after it.
For paedos who believe in baptismal regeneration, this means baptism calls our kids to conversion.
Oh yeah -- the way evangelicals understand conversion is often incorrect as well.
More later ....
2 comments:
Check out Leithart's new book. It's excellent in deconstructing modern dichotomies in Baptism theology. "The Baptized Body" Excellent:
http://www.canonpress.org/shop/item.asp?itemid=1244
Let me add to "anonymous'" request, and please ask that you read Rich Lusk's post on Baptism here:
http://www.reformedcatholicism.com/?p=75#respond
He quotes the 19th century Anglican M. F. Sadler. The quote is truly awesome.
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