Baptism and Children in Mark's Vision of the Realm of God

Abstract

Although Jesus’ is the only baptism specifically described in the synoptic gospel accounts, proponents of infant baptism have lifted up Jesus’ blessing of children, unique to Mark, in support of this practice. By reading these two texts together within Mark’s larger vision for the kin*dom, or realm, of God, I propose a religious-theological interpretation that understands baptismal vocation in light of the central place of children within the kin*dom.