Christian Ritualizing and the Baptismal Process

Synopsis: Most people, even non-Christians, know that Christians gather for worship once a week, and that they are right there to support each other when there is a baptism or a wedding or a funeral. But what about other poignant, vulnerable, or life-changing times? How does the church help people handle changes that in the past, in Christendom, were considered "secular"? Does the church have a role at retirement when one's ministry changes, or when a family's children leave home and familiar patterns seem to grind to a halt? Is there any rite possible for someone who is called to Christian ministry but not to ordination? Or to someone whose vows are broken in divorce? Christian Ritualizing and the Baptismal Process asserts that baptism marks the beginning of a process of participation in Christ's ministry, so that no part of life can finally be considered secular. Susan Marie Smith shows how every passage, healing, and ministry vocation is "holy," and she lays the groundwork needed for every church to create the rituals necessary to lament and celebrate the endings and beginnings that happen in every Christian life. Endorsements: "Critical analysis not only of major past theologians, but of former and present eras in ecclesial history, coupled with a wide-ranging draw on contemporary liturgical theologians, provide a splendid foundation for the third part of Susan Smith's book, which effectively and creatively sets forth the reciprocal connection between liturgy and life. Pastoral implementation is, after all, the aim of any and all liturgical renewal and she succeeds in this as well." --William H. Petersen Bexley Hall Seminary "Christian Ritualizing and the Baptismal Process invites us to recover and renew our understandings of the baptized life. Emphasizing growth in Christ (our baptismal becoming), our lives in the world as response-gift, the relationship between the one and many in the Body of Christ, and the importance of planning and conducting pastoral ritualizations to mark life passages, Susan Marie Smith enthusiastically and convincingly summons all to a realized baptismal ecclesiology. Rich in storied examples and informed by patristics, ritual theories, and contemporary liturgical and sacramental theologies, this is a book of singular importance for teachers and pastors in this post-Christendom time." --Jennifer Lord Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Author Biography: Susan Marie Smith is an Episcopal priest and teacher of liturgy, ritual, and preaching. She offers worship consulting, teaches classes, leads retreats, and facilitates the creating of Christian ritualization.