Reviewed Book: Canadian Council of Churches. Initiation into Christ: Ecumenical Reflections and Common Teachings on Preparation for Baptism. Ottawa: Novalis; Winfield, BC: Wood Lake Books, 1992

Nevile, Donald C.

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Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 20Issue 1 A Ministry Miscellany Article 185-1-1994Initiation into Christ: Ecumenical Reflections andCommon Teachings on Preparation for BaptismDonald C. NevileFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationNevile, Donald C. (1994) "Initiation into Christ: Ecumenical Reflections and Common Teachings on Preparation for Baptism,"Consensus: Vol. 20 : Iss. 1 , Article 18.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol20/iss1/18Book Reviews 131The authors are sensitive to the problems of the modern university andare aware that faculty in the field of religion have been as much part ofthe problem as of the solution. That applies to questions of equity, greed,sexual harassment, and pomposity and especially infighting (see 318-321).On all of these they have some very important things to say. Nor do theyhesitate to prognosticate the future and obviously before Social Contractdays still assume there is one.Gone are the days when members of churches went off to university toavoid religion. It is now possible to study religion as an academic disciplinein university and show no particular interest in “practising” the religionof one’s ancestors. Indeed one can be extremely keen on doing so withoutshowing a shred of interest in going to church.They suggest that “clergy who, while in seminary, had no time forreligious studies may want the kind of instruction offered in religious studiesand turn there for help in understanding and living in our pluralistic, secularsociety” (321). Words well worth heeding!It is a pleasure to read a book which has a joyous undertone (318), isvery carefully edited and proof-read; in short, one that performs a genuineservice for the discipline. The writers and the press, above all the CanadianCorporation for Studies in Religion, are to be congratulated for this finepiece of work. It deserves wide reading certainly by everyone interested inthe impact of religion on life.William KlassenSt. Paul’s United CollegeWaterloo, OntarioInitiation Into Christ: Ecumenical Reflections andCommon Teachings on Preparation for BaptismCanadian Council of ChurchesWinfield, BC: Wood Lake Books, and Ottawa: Novalis Press,50 pp. $7.50For those who have taken the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’sStatement on Sacramental Practices seriously, especially the parts whichspeak about the ecumenical nature of the church’s beliefs on Holy Baptismand the Eucharist, and who are looking for a teaching tool which focuseson this ecumenicity, this may be the book for you. Sponsored by the Com-mission on Faith and Order of the Canadian Council of Churches and inpreparation for over fifteen years, it comes as a breath of fresh air in thistime of “ecumenical winter”.The book intends to provide a common teaching tool for churches whichagree on the recognition of one another’s processes of initiation. The for-mat is clear and the approach is inductive, each of the five chapters begin-ning with “refiections on human experience” and going on to “the biblical132 Consensuswitness”, with each section followed by a set of “questions for reflection”.Themes of the five chapters are: (1) Beginning with the world: its goodnessand brokeness; (2) God’s initiative in the world: reconciliation and whole-ness; (3) From death to life: turning towards God; (4) Becoming God’speople: initiation into the body of Christ; (5) Baptized by water and theSpirit: called to new life.Although the text avoids the issue of baptismal regeneration (but al-ludes to the historic differences between the churches over infant baptism),the emphasis on God’s grace and acceptance appears throughout. The im-portance of conversion as a time of choice (dramatic or otherwise) is stressedas well, and the central role of the community as the cradle of initiationis given strong emphasis. Images of water in the Bible are explored andintegrated, as in fact they also are in the various churches’ initiation rites.The new life in Christ is described, and here the emphasis is both personaland communal, secular and religious, comforting and challenging.The language used is still traditional and “religious”, and so use ofthe book with those of no Christian background will have to be supple-mented with clarification and interpretation by the instructor. The bookconcludes with a set of brief sketches by representatives of the participat-ing churches, giving their denominational view of baptism/initiation. Theseinclude: Anglican, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Orthodox, Lutheran, Men-nonite, Presbyterian, Reformed, Quaker, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army,and United Church of Canada. If for no other reason, read the book to seehow these 12 churches (13, if you recognize that “reformed” means bothChristian Reformed Church and Reformed Church of America) put it alltogether.Except for the odd Anglican/Lutheran eucharistic celebration, and thefew joint “campus” -style parishes (Mississauga, Winnipeg, Calgary), ecu-menical activity is hard to come by today. This book is strong evidencethat the “ecumenical winter” will not last forever and will someday giveway to spring.Too bad the price is so high (for the book, that is). But why not havethe parish buy a dozen copies or so and, rather than giving them away,keep them in the library for use in confirmation classes, with new membersas a unit on baptism, in pre-baptismal seminars, as a Lenten study series,and perhaps as a cooperative study between two or more local churches?Donald C. NevilePeace Lutheran ChurchPickering, Ontario

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