Affusion

Affusion (la. affusio) is a method of baptism where water is poured on the head of the person being baptized. The word “affusion” comes from the Latin affusio, meaning “to pour on”. Affusion is one of four methods of baptism used by Christians, which also include total submersion baptism, partial immersion baptism, and aspersion or sprinkling. Christian denominations that baptize by affusion do not deny the legitimacy of baptizing by submersion or immersion; rather, they consider that affusion is a sufficient, if not necessarily preferable, method of baptism.

Affusion and aspersion tend to be practiced by Christian denominations that also practice infant baptism. This may be due to the practical difficulties of totally immersing an infant underwater. However, Eastern Orthodox and some Roman Catholics practice infant immersion. Amish, Old Order Mennonites, and Conservative Mennonites still practice baptism by pouring.

Affusion became the standard practice in the western church around the 10th century, but was in use much earlier. The earliest explicit reference to baptism by affusion occurs in the Didache (c. AD 100), the seventh chapter of which gives instructions on how to baptize, which include affusion:

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Author: Wikipedia

Keywords: Affusion, Water baptism, Sprinking, Baptism necessary, Baptism necessary for salvation, Baptism saves, Baptism salvation, Water immersion, Immersion, Immersion water, pedo baptism, paedo baptism, pedobaptism, paedobaptism, Baptism by pouring, Baptize by pouring, Pouring water, Baptism immersion, Baptize immersion, Baptize, Baptise, Baptist, Adult baptism, credobaptism, Infant baptism, Child baptism, Baptize children, Baptize infants, Sprinkling water, Sprinkle baptism, John the Baptist, John the baptizer, Water submersion, Submersion, Submersion baptism, Baptize submersion, believer's baptism, baptized in water, water baptized, water baptised, baptised in water, John's baptism, mikveh, ritual cleansing, washing, ritual washing

Bible reference(s): Matthew 3:6, Matthew 3:7, Mark 1:5, Mark 16:16, Luke 3:3, Luke 3:7, Luke 3:12, Luke 3:21, Luke 7:30, Luke 12:50, John 1:25, John 1:31, John 3:22, John 4:2, Acts 2:41, Acts 8:12, Acts 8:13, Acts 8:16, Acts 8:36, Acts 8:38, Acts 9:18, Acts 10:48, Acts 16:15, Acts 16:33, Acts 18:8, Acts 19:3, Acts 19:5, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3, Romans 6:4, 1 Corinthians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 1:14, 1 Corinthians 1:15, 1 Corinthians 1:16, 1 Corinthians 1:17, 1 Corinthians 10:2, 1 Corinthians 15:29, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:5, Colossians 2:12, 1 Peter 3:21

Source: This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Affusion,” which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

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