The Baptismal Liturgy of Jerusalem: Fourth- and Fifth-Century Evidence from Palestine, Syria and Egypt

Was Jerusalem, under her bishop Cyril, the source of liturgical innovations in the fourth century or was she simply following trends which also affected the liturgy of neighboring provinces? In assessing these two established propositions in relation to baptism, Juliette Day undertakes a careful comparative analysis of all the relevant sources for Palestine, Egypt and Syria, paying attention to the structure, content and theological narrative of the rites which they describe. The Mystagogical Catecheses, commonly attributed to Cyril of Jerusalem, are the key source in this discussion.

Juliette Day is Director of Open Learning Theology and lectures in Liturgical Studies and Patristics at the University of Wales - Lampeter, UK.