»Indeed, the new Adam returns to life and the old one perishes.«:The effects of the sacrament of baptism reflected in inscriptions and pictorial programs on medieval bronze baptismal fonts
The bronze baptismal font of Osnabruck Cathedral, created around 1225 by a caster named Gerhard and commissioned by a donor named Wilbernus, was long overshadowed by the famous baptismal vessel of Hildesheim Cathedral, which is probably associated with the same donor. Even though the Osnabruck baptismal font is not nearly as richly decorated with reliefs, this rather small bronze casting shows a complex program, especially with its sacramental-theological inscription affixed to the cuppa. This text interprets the sacrament of baptism, taking up the thoughts of the Church Fathers as well as the interpretations of high medieval theologians based on them. In a few words, a theology of initiation is outlined at the baptismal font, which characterizes how the sacrament of baptism comes about and at the same time places the person being baptized in the tradition of salvation history.