LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW - Brock University

HOGG: SCHLEIERMACHER’S DOCTRINE OF BAPTISM 17
The personal self-consciousness, if uncertain and vacillating, may be
strengthened and confirmed by the common consciousness of the Church
expressed in baptism and hallowed by prayer in the name of Christ. 14
Here it is not Baptism as God’s work accompanied by God’s Word that
gives assurance, as in Luther; it is Baptism as an expression of the “common
consciousness of the Church”, i.e., the consciousness of Jesus as Redeemer,
that gives assurance to the individual.
THE EFFECT OF BAPTISM
The same two-poled tension exhibited in the discussion of the essence
of Baptism is also present in Schleiermacher’s treatment of its effect. In the
sphere of the church, the effect of Baptism is to give the individual baptised
citizenship in the Christian church. But what do we mean by the words
“Christian church”, since there are so many denominations What about the
intention of the person baptising And what is the benefit of being made a
citizen of the Christian church
Concerning the first question, Schleiermacher views the term
“Christian church” in its broadest possible meaning when he says:
… it is a general principle for all ages during which the Church may
continue to be divided into a number of relatively antagonistic
communions, that baptism which anyone of them causes to be
administered is valid not only for the administering Church itself but for
all Churches whatsoever … . 15
This is because when a church baptises, it is the church’s intention to bring
the person into the church. Schleiermacher even extends this principle to
heretical parties, saying that since they consider themselves to be the true
church, their intention is to receive the person into the Christian community.
In dealing with those baptised thus, the church need not rebaptise, but only
strongly counteract the heresy. It is questionable how far Schleiermacher
would extend this principle; clearly he would recognise the Baptisms of
Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, United, and Baptist congregations.
He does insist on the need for a presentation of the word of Father, Son, and
Spirit in connection with Baptism, as we shall see; but he is also willing and
insistent on the inclusion of the Rationalists in the church. 16
14 Schleiermacher, The Christian Faith 625-26.
15 Schleiermacher, The Christian Faith 628.
16 F. D. E. Schleiermacher, On the Glaubenslehre: Two Letters to Dr. Luecke (Ann
Arbor: Scholar’s Press, 1981) 68: “I do not fear we would disagree that it is neither Christian