This lively study of the problems of Christian baptism traces issues arising from the New Testament in the traditions of the churches and provides an ecumenical conspectus of the continuous debate on Christian baptism. Wainwright surveys the positions of different churches on baptism and confirmation, and relates them to the New Testament treatment. He shows that the New Testament's apparent favouring of different views of the relation between grace and faith in baptism gives a basis for an ecumenical pattern of Christian initiation.
