The Bible and Baptism – The Fountain of Salvation

Isaac Morales, OP, offers a biblical theology of the initiatory rite of baptism rooted in the Old and New Testaments. "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 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. "-Richard B. Hays. , Duke University (emeritus)"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. "-Ellen F. Davis. , Duke Divinity School"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. '"-Peter John Cameron, OP. , founding editor in chief, Magnificat. "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. "-Reinhard Hütter. , The Catholic University of AmericaPraise for the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments Series. "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. "-Jennifer Grillo. , University of Notre Dame