Practicing Baptism: Christian Practices and the Presence of Christ

Where is Jesus Christ? This fundamental question is the starting point of this book, which investigates the shape of Christian life and ministry in a post-Christendom context. Over the last decades there has been a shift in much of Western theology towards focusing on Christian practices in ministry and theological education. This may be seen as a way to deal with theological anxiety in an era of heightened personal autonomy. In Practicing Baptism Bard Norheim critically analyzes the engagement in Christian practices. As a response to this engagement Norheim develops a missional and diaconal theology for ministry, focusing on the presence of Christ in Christian practices. Fundamentally, this is an attempt to answer a pressing question for today: What do Christians do? Norheim draws on Martin Luther's theology and his notion of the three modes of Christ's presence, the present tense of baptism, and Luther's idea of the marks of the church. Based on this reading of Luther's theology, Norheim suggests that Christian life and ministry could be interpreted through the concept practicing baptism.

Bard Eirik Hallesby Norheim is a Norwegian theologian, pastor, youth missionary, and musical artist (Reverend B). His first full-length book in English, Practicing Baptism (2014), came with a musical album and music video titled "Practicing Baptism" (see https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kVeQ9oL6kk). Norheim grew up on the west coast of Norway, by Bergen. After living and serving in post-Soviet Estonia for many years, he is passionately involved in researching and teaching youth ministry. He is now serving as Chair of the IASYM (International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry) and works at NLA University College in Bergen, Norway, as Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Head of Department of Theology and Religion.