An interesting study about baptism and improved religious practices

[The Conductor]

I came upon this study and I think you guys might find it interesting. (Note that this study was of youth at a baptist conference, so I'm not surprised by the correlation between infant baptism and reduced church attendance.)

"The theological framework posed the question regarding the efficacy of baptism. It was suggested that, if baptism is conceptualized as a special dispensation of divine grace, and if divine grace is conceptualized as promoting a positive relationship between creator and creature reflected in nurturing visible spirituality and spiritual practices, then among the highly committed a higher level of spiritual practices would be seen among the baptised. This suggestion was formulated in the conventional style of a negative hypothesis, namely that there is no association between baptismal status and spiritual practice. The data did not support this negative hypothesis. The data reveal that the young people who had not been baptised reported lower levels of spiritual practices across all three measures included in this study: church attendance, personal Bible reading, and personal prayer. Moreover, those who had been baptised as infants (prior to being able to make a personal confession of faith according to the normative practice within the Baptist tradition) showed no difference when compared with those who had been baptised as an older child or adolescent in the reported levels of Bible reading and personal prayer. However, those baptised as infants reported significantly lower levels of church attendance compared to those who had been baptised later in life. According to these data infant baptism may be seen to be almost as efficacious as adult baptism, but not quite as efficacious. This empirical evidence may suggest that Baptist theologians may wish to revisit the generally-held view that Baptism is merely a public acknowledgment of one’s confession of faith and repentance from sin and consider that the act of Baptism may contain a previously unacknowledged dispensation of grace."

 

[Tangible]

The criteria do not measure confession of faith but practice of personal piety. Baptist Christianity is very pietistic, those who practice infant baptism less so. No surprises here.

ETA - I missed the last line. That is rather surprising, but still misses the point of visible-gospel Baptismal Regeneration in favor of a more Church of Christ, Campbellite, law-centered view of baptism.

 

[The Conductor]

ETA - I missed the last line. That is rather surprising, but still misses the point of visible-gospel Baptismal Regeneration in favor of a more Church of Christ, Campbellite, law-centered view of baptism.

That being said, this is more or less what Lutherans would expect. While a confession of faith would doubtless better measure faith directly, it shouldn't be surprising to us that those who experience the washing of regeneration show fruits of such a washing, even as we consider that these particular fruits are not the only fruits possible. While I wouldn't want to do theology this way, it's always comforting when sociology proves you right. (Not that this test is the end-all and be-all by any means.)

 

[ContraMundum]

Awfully forensic approach to the whole matter, eh?

I recall thinking in seminary that the students with the best devotional life and sharpest theology were all baptized as infants. I believe now that I was missing the point. It wasn't the baptism, it was the fact that they were raised in the faith, exposed to it their whole lives. Their parents sowed the faith into them and it was now budding fruit.

 

[FireDragon76]

It just makes sense to me there would be grace from it that would produce some kind of "spiritual fruit", due to the communal nature of baptism in churches that practice infant baptism. This involves making some kind of commitment to the Christian faith, even if it is a small one.

CM, in the Episcopal Church they talk about the baptismal covenant. I don't think they are implying that Baptism works ex opera operato, it's a commitment by the community, the parents and eventually, the children themselves. Is this the Lutheran understanding, as well?

 

[ContraMundum]

CM, in the Episcopal Church they talk about the baptismal covenant. I don't think they are implying that Baptism works ex opera operato, it's a commitment by the community, the parents and eventually, the children themselves. Is this the Lutheran understanding, as well?

I think there are a few different Lutheran views...I'd love to hear from them all. In my neck of the woods your assessment would describe the Lutheran understanding well. Perhaps Lutherans with a very passive view of sanctification may have a different idea.