Introduction / Introduction Kirsten Lee Bierbaum, Susanne Wittekind
Sensual Perception and Materiality of Baptism Klára Doležalová, Ivan Foletti, Andreas Odenthal, Jörg Widmaier
Baptismal liturgy – Practice, Places, Actors / Baptismal liturgy – Practice, Spaces, Agents Kirsten Lee Bierbaum, Barbara Bruderer-Eichberg, Hanna Jacobs, Anna Pawlik, Adam Stead
Sacrament, sovereignty, representation / Sacrament, sovereignty, representation Fran Altvater, Beat Brenk, Stefan Dusil, Luke Fidler, Sebastian Ristow, Harriet Sonne de Torrens
In medieval culture, the sacrament of baptism presents itself as a widely ramified complex of symbols and meanings, encompassing theological, catechetical and liturgical areas as well as (ecclesiastical), political, social and legal areas. During the four-day colloquium, visual media of baptism in the area of tension between place, ritual and community / Baptism and its Artefacts. Space, Images and Community in a Ritual Context (February 11-14, 2020, Institute of Art History at the University of Cologne) it became clear how differently the topic is expressed in the media in terms of temporal and regional specifics, but also how fruitful the inclusion of and exchange with different disciplines is. Not only did the practice of baptism constantly change throughout the history of Christianity. The tensions between codified “ideal rites” and practical requirements repeatedly gave rise to new interpretations and buildings, objects and image programs tailored to the actions and objectives being practiced. The aim of the lectures and discussions brought together in this anthology was to survey this broad field with special consideration of the material culture of baptism, to present the latest research against a common horizon and to identify intersections.
The contributions to this volume offer “close-up” analyzes of baptismal spaces and artifacts between early Christianity and the late Middle Ages. The new grouping compared to the conference according to the main topics “Sensual perception and materiality of baptism”, “Baptismal liturgy – practice, places, actors”, and “Sacrament, rule, representation” is intended to promote new methodological approaches and at the same time indicate points of contact and intersections between the case studies that emerged in the discussions and contributions during the conference. With its contributions, the volume aims to encourage open, interdisciplinary and epoch-spanning further thinking about the diverse reference system “Baptism in the Middle Ages”. The rich material tradition of baptismal artifacts and rooms can still be seen as an art-historical desideratum that is worth researching, especially with a view to the associated social practices.
In medieval culture, the sacrament of baptism presents itself as a widely diversified complex of signs and meanings that encompasses theological, catechetical and liturgical fields as well as (church) political, social and legal ones. During the four-day colloquium Visual media of baptism in the field of tension between place, ritual and community / Baptism and its Artefacts. Space, Images and Community in a Ritual Context (11-14/2/2020, Art History Department, University of Cologne), it became clear how varied the topic manifests itself medially in temporal and regional specifics, but also how productive the inclusion of and exchange with different disciplines can be. Not only has the practice of baptism constantly changed over the course of the history of Christianity. The tensions between codified “ideal rites” and practical requirements also gave rise to new understandings and to buildings, objects and pictorial programs tailored to the actions and objectives practiced in each case. The aim of the lectures and discussions brought together in this anthology was to survey this broad field with a special focus on the material culture of baptism, to present the latest research against a common horizon and to identify intersections.
The contributions in this volume offer close-reading analyzes of baptismal spaces and artifacts between early Christianity and the late Middle Ages. The new arrangement of the contributions compared to the conference according to the main topics “Sensual Perception and Materiality of Baptism”, “Baptismal Liturgy – Practice, Spaces, Agents”, and “Sacrament, Sovereignty, Representation” is intended to emphasize new methodological approaches and at the same time to suggest points of contact and intersections between the case studies that emerged in the discussions and papers during the conference. With its contributions, the volume aims to stimulate an open, interdisciplinary and cross-epochal rethinking of the multifaceted reference system “Baptism in the Middle Ages”. The rich material tradition of baptismal artifacts and spaces can still be considered an art-historical desideratum that is worth exploring, especially with regard to the associated social practices.
