The Pagan Baptism Fallacy
In his efforts to delegitimize the baptismal doctrines of “worldly” churches external to the 2×2 Fellowship, Professor Cornelius Jaenen deploys an argument utilized more often by atheists who deny the existence of God by asserting that Christian infant baptism was influenced by pagan customs. For example, in footnote #24 on page 104 of his book The Apostles’ Doctrine & Fellowship he writes:
“In the cult of Dionysus infants were initiated as a safeguard against premature death. The concept of infant baptism or “christening” appears to have been brought into later Christianity by converts from paganism” [emphasis added]
Cornelius Jaenen, Ph.D. was an associate professor of history at the University of Ottawa. He wrote, co-authored or edited at least twelve books. His book The Apostles’ Doctrine and Fellowship , which is a historical survey of Christianity starting from the immediate post-apostolic age to the late 19th Century, is over 500 pages long. Although this scholarly book is replete with numerous references and footnotes on each page, he does not provide any citations for the above assertion. He says elsewhere that “baptism has been seen by some historians as having antecedents in the initiation rites of the Eastern mystery religions”(104). Unfortunately he did not reveal the identities of “some historians” in his references; however, just as one can find “some historians” who also believe that the ancient Egyptian pyramids were built by aliens, it is likely possible that Jaenen did find “some historians” who believe Christian baptism was derived from pagan water rituals (such as Frank Zindler). Later in the book he writes:
“it would appear that the Greek pagan religions had much to do with altering the concept of baptism. Baptism was soon called the Enlightenment and the Seal in the East, names taken directly from the Greek mysteries. The rite was carried out with an elaborate mystic formula, performed usually in secret…” (292:VI:6, emphasis added)
Again there was no citation provided. As the kids like to say these days, “Are the pagan mystery religions appearing in the room with us right now?” This sarcastic question phrasing originates from the highly publicized interrogation tapes of the Parkland school shooter who, in February 2021, murdered 17 people and injured 17 more. In his defense the shooter claimed he committed the murders because demons instructed him to. To test this, the interrogator asked, "Is one of the demons in the room with us right now?" Online this question has become heavily used to mock a person who brings up outlandish or wholly imagined scenarios to try to win an argument. In this article I will examine Dr. Jaenen’s statement in a more scholarly manner than simply mocking it; however, I am not mature enough to resist at least making a reference to this popular phenomenon, as I can’t help but wonder what other things might “appear” to Dr. Jaenen, who seems to have fallen victim to the logical fallacy known as the Genetic Fallacy. His argument can be represented below in the form of a classic logical syllogism:
Pagan religions had washing rituals with water
Christianity has water baptism
∴ Therefore Christian baptism came from paganism
This line of reasoning is fallacious. Pagan religions used candles, and so does Christianity. Does this mean Christianity adopted the use of candles from pagan religions? In a similar way, mystery cults including the Dionysian and Eleusinian mysteries did often use water as a preparatory purification for initiates seeking eternal life. For Dr. Jaenen the temptation to connect the use of water by ancient religions to the use of water by Christians is apparently too great to resist. However, water is one of the most universal religious symbols in all of the world. In addition to Judaism and Christianity, the ancient Mesopotamian religions of Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia all used water extensively for purification. For example, in Mesopotamian mythology the water from the subterranean freshwater ocean was considered especially sacred where, according to the Babylonian creation epic Enûma Eliš, the freshwater diety Apsu and his saltwater counterpart Tiamat mingled their waters to give birth to the very first generation of gods. The same symbolic use of water also applies to ancient Egyptian religions, Greek and Roman religions, the Cult of Dionysus, the Eleusinian mysteries, the Cult of Isis, the Cult of Mithras, Celtic religions, Germanic and Norse religions, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, ancient Arabic religions, Canaanite and Phoenician religions and Mesoamerican religions.
One of the most important methodological rules in historical and religious studies is the principle that “similarity does not imply descent”. Simply because two religions share a practice does not mean that one borrowed it from the other. Many religious practices arise naturally and independently because human beings from all cultures often confront similar profound questions such as the forgiveness of sins, initiation of new members, honoring the dead, celebration of sacred meals and seeking divine protection. In the case of Christian baptism, there is a clear explanation from its own tradition coming from Judaism before the Christian church ever existed such as:
Jewish cleansing rites (mikva'ot),
Purification rites as prescribed in the Mosaic Law (Ex 29:4; Ex 30:18–21; Ex 40:12–15; Ex 40:30–32; Lev 8:6, Lev 16:4; Lev 16:24; Lev 6:26; Lev 16:28, Num 31:19–24, etc)
Proselyte washing (Mishnah Pesachim 8:8 and Talmud Yevamot 46a–48b)
The ministry of John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-18)
It is true, though, that the early Christians were aware of the pagan religions (including Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Tertullian), but pagan cults were generally regarded as false religions rather than something to emulate. They were more likely to criticize them instead of borrow from them. In fact, the early Church Fathers often argued that pagan cults were actually counterfeits that imitated the truths that were ultimately fulfilled by Christ, not the other way around (see Justin Martyr’s First Apology 56, 62, 66 and Dialogue with Trypho, 69-70; Tertullian’s De Baptismo 5 and De Praescriptione Haereticorum chapter 40; Origen’s Against Celsus, 6:22).
Furthermore, the New Testament writings indicate baptism as functioning as a central Christian rite from the very beginning instead of being gradually instituted with later generations. This is seen in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:38–41, Acts 8:12–13, Acts 8:16, Acts 8:36–39, Acts 9:18, Acts 10:47–48, Acts 11:15–17, Acts 13:24, Acts 16:14–15, Acts 16:30–33, Acts 18:8, Acts 18:25, Acts 19:1–5, and Acts 22:16) as well as Paul’s letters to the Romans (Rom 6:3–4, Rom 6:5, Rom 6:6–7, Rom 6:8–11, and Rom 6:17–18), the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:13–17, 1 Cor 6:11, 1 Cor 10:1–2, 1 Cor 12:13, and 1 Cor 15:29) and the Galatians (Gal 3:26-27). These writings predate most of the alleged pagan influences on Christian doctrine.
In terms of baptismal regeneration, the principle of baptismal efficacy appears extremely early in Christian sources within the first generation of Christianity, before any demonstrable borrowing from Dionysian theology. In other words, this doctrine is already present in the New Testament itself. For example, Jesus teaches the importance of baptism as absolutely necessary for entry into the Kingdom of Heaven (Jn 3:3-5), and Acts 2:38 links baptism with forgiveness of sins. Paul's letter to Titus speaks of the "washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5) and Peter says that “baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21). Accordingly, the Didache and early second-century Christian writers treat baptism as a sacred means of entering the Christian community and well as participation in Christ’s divine life. This makes a later borrowing from Dionysian religion difficult to establish historically.
Some historians do acknowledge that as Christianity expanded into the Greco-Roman world, Christians and pagans used similar religious vocabulary (with regard to initiation, salvation, rebirth, participation in divine life); however, there is no good evidence for direct doctrinal dependence. In Christian theology, baptism is a one-time sacrament grounded in Jewish repentance initiating union with Christ’s death and resurrection, whereas in the Cult of Dionysus the ritual was repeated often. In Greek religions, in general , participants commonly underwent lustration (katharmos) in association with initiation rituals, ecstatic worship, ceremonial processions, sacrificial meals and dramatic reenactments associated with Dionysus.
Furthermore, Jaenen’s assertion that Christian baptism occurred in secret, private rituals is demonstrably false. The New Testament consistently portrays baptism as a visible, public act associated with conversion and entry into the Christian community. While the text does not always explicitly say "in front of a crowd," baptisms occur in settings where witnesses were naturally present such as the three thousand at Pentecost (Acts 2:41), the Samaritan converts (Acts 8:12) during Phillip’s public preaching, Paul himself (Acts 9:18), Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:47-48), Lydia and her household (Acts 16:11-15), the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:25-34), Crispus and many Corinthians (Acts 18:8) and the disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7). This is supported by early post-apostolic writing that indicates baptism was performed in a Christian community event (Didache 7.1–4 and Justin Martyr’s First Apology 61) "As many as are persuaded and believe ... are brought by us where there is water... Then they are brought by us to where those who are called brethren are assembled..."
So, regardless of the opinion of “some historians”, the dominant scholarly view is that Christian baptism arose primarily from Jewish purification practices and the preaching of John the Baptist, interpreted through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because the practice already existed in Judaism, there is no need to invoke the Dionysian religion to explain its origin. The Jewish understanding of covenantal washing and purification is sufficient to explain the Christian transformation of this rite. Although Christianity and the cult of Dionysus share some broad ritual similarities common in ancient religions, there is no strong historical evidence that the cult of Dionysus directly shaped Christian doctrine concerning baptism or baptismal regeneration. The similarities are generally considered superficial compared with the much stronger and more direct Jewish background of Christian baptism.
Writing later in his book regarding infant baptism, Jaenen says:
“There are reminiscences in the ceremony of the ancient Roman custom of touching a baby’s foreahead [sic] and lips with spittle on the day on which it received its name. The pagan belief was that this offered protection against malign influences” (293: VI:6.2)
There is no credible historical evidence that Roman Catholic infant baptism originated from the ancient pagan Roman custom of touching an infant's forehead and lips with spittle for protection against evil influences and, true to form, Jaenen does not offer any proof. The principle that “similarity does not imply descent” applies here as well. Pliny the Elder was a Roman writer who lived from around 23 AD to 79 AD, and he does mention the widespread belief that saliva possessed protective and medicinal powers:
I have however pointed out that the best of all safeguards against serpents is the saliva of fasting human being, but our daily experience may teach us yet other values of its use. We spit on epileptics in a fit, that is, we throw hack infections In a similar way we ward off witchcraft and the bad luck that follows meeting a person lame in the right leg. We also ask forgiveness of the gods for a too presumptuous hope by spitting into our bosom; the same reason again accounts for the custom, in using any remedy, of spitting on the ground three times by way of ritual thus increasing its efficacy, and of marking early incipient boils three times with fasting saliva.……If we hold these beliefs, we should also believe that the right course, on the arrival of a stranger, or if a sleeping baby is looked at, is for the nurse to spit three times at her charge. And yet the baby is further under the divine protection of Fascinus, guardian not only of babies but of generals, a deity whose worship, part of the Roman religion, is entrusted to the Vestals; hanging under the chariots of generals at their triumphs he defends them as a physician from jealousy, and the similar physic of the tongue bids them look back, so that at the back Fortune, destroyer of fame, may be won over.” (Naturalis Historia XXVIII:7):
On a side note, the physician in me notes with irony his next sentence in the very next chapter, “The bite of a human being is considered to be a most serious one”. It has indeed been my clinical experience of 30 years that I would rather be bitten by a dog than a human, zombie or otherwise. Regardless, would Dr. Jaenen have the temerity to accuse Jesus of being influenced by pagan religions when he healed with saliva the deaf man in the district of the Decapolis in Mark 7:31-37? What about His healing of the blind man of Bethsaida in Mark 8:22-25, or the blind man in John 9:6-7? Perhaps the saliva of Christ was completely sterile and more holy than the rest of us…
Anyway, aside from the obvious fact that human saliva is not the same as water in a river or a baptismal font, the same reasoning outlined above still applies. In terms of baptizing infants itself, Paul closely connects circumcision in the Old Covenant to the baptism in the New Covenant (Col 2:11-12). Since circumcision occurred on the eight day of an infant’s life (Gen 17:12), it would be unusual for the New Covenant to become even more restrictive by excluding children who had previously been included in the Old Covenant, nor is there any evidence in scripture to suggest this. The bible does, however, mention the baptism of entire families such as Lydia’s household (Acts 16:15), the Philippian jailer’s household (Act 16:33) and the household of Stephanas (1 Cor 1:16). The early church believed that “households” did include children, especially since Paul addresses them directly in his letters (Eph 6:1 and Col 3:20). Jesus welcome children, saying, “Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such” (Mt 19:14). The early church also believed in baptism as something God does for the recipient, not something the believer chooses as a symbolic gesture (Acts 2:38, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21). Because they understood baptism primarily as God's gift of grace rather than merely a public testimony of personal faith, they believed that infants are capable of receiving baptism just as infants in Israel could receive circumcision.
Jaenen’s argument that Christianity later evolved into elaborate rituals because of the influence of pagan religions is made even more ridiculous by the fact that the further removed in time a group is from another, the less likely they are to be influenced by them. He provides zero evidence that Christians intentionally adopted practices from the Cult of Dionysus, nor does he provide any evidence that Christian baptism appears only after contact with the Cult of Dionysus. The irony is that many doctrines, including baptism, accused of being pagan in origin can be documented in Christian sources before the alleged pagan influence became relevant.
Professor Jaenen was all too eager to stop at the question "Do these things look similar?" without doing his scholarly due diligence of asking "Can we trace a historical line of transmission from one to the other?" Only evidence of historical continuity can demonstrate actual descent, and Jaenen offers none..
Jaenan, C.J. The apostles’ doctrine and fellowship: a documentary history of the early church and restorationist movements. Legas Publishing. 2003.