126 Dimensions of Baptism
no 'special sacrament of "Spirit-baptism"'.^14 Such rites as exorcisms, the
laying on of hands as a rite conveying 'Spirit-baptism', chrismation and
consignation developed later,^15 as did the catechumenate.^16- Spirit-Baptism: Conversion and Metaphor Critically Examined
Clearly Beasley-Murray interprets becoming a Christian in terms of a
process, what he terms 'conversion-baptism',^17 but which, since the appear-
ance of James Dunn's Baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1970, is known as
'conversion-initiation', a term and view which has been widely taken up
by scholars.^18 Dunn identifies the components of conversion-initiation:- Lampe, Seal, pp. 306-307. Cf. Dunn, Baptism, p. 207, who, discussing Heb.
6.1-6, believes that the relation between baptism and the laying on of hands envisages
a single ceremony, like the one mentioned in Acts 19, namely the single rite of
initiation. Others, however, disagree, e.g., A. Kavanagh, The Shape of Baptism (New
York: Pueblo, 1978), pp. 15-29, who believes anointings may have been a part of the
total event of baptism. - Lampe, Seal, pp. 307-309. See the various discussions in the section on 'Initia-
tion' in Jones, Wainwright, Yarnold and Bradshaw (eds.), Study of Liturgy, pp. 111-83. - The New Testament practice of immediate baptism (e.g. Acts 8.36-38; 16.33,
see J.D.G. Dunn, 'Baptism and the Unity of the Church in the New Testament', in
M. Root and R. Saarinen [eds.], Baptism and the Unity of the Church [Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans; Geneva: WCC, 1998], pp. 78-103 [93]) would preclude a catechumenate,
evidence for which as a formal means of baptismal preparation is not attested until the
post-canonical period, cf. Did. 1-6 with 7.1, though the first evidence of an organized
catechumenate is to be found in Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition 16-20. See E.F.
Ferguson, 'Catechesis, Catechumenate', in E.F. Ferguson (ed.), Encyclopedia of Early
Christianity (New York: Garland, 2nd edn, 1998), pp. 223-25. - See also G.R. Beasley-Murray, Baptism Today and Tomorrow (London:
Macmillan, 1966), pp. 37-38, who writes that it is 'axiomatic that conversion and
baptism are inseparable, if not indistinguishable. In the primitive apostolic Church
baptism was "conversion-baptism"'; 'for Paul his baptism completed his conversion
(Acts ix. 19). It would have done no less for Cornelius and his friends (Acts x.47ff.)'.
See also pp. 49, 59-60, 86, 92-97; and his 'PCXTTTICCO', NIDNTT, I, p. 146: 'Baptism
is conversion-baptism'. - E.g., R.P. Martin, 'Patterns of Worship in New Testament Churches', JSNT 3 7
(1989), pp. 59-85 (71); A.T. Lincoln, Ephesians (WBC, 42; Waco, TX: Word, 1990),
p. 40; R.N. Longenecker, Galatians (WBC, 41; Dallas: Word, 1990), p. 156; D J. Moo,
The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), p. 366; Turner,
Holy Spirit, pp. 44-46; D.F. Wright, 'Recovering Baptism for a New Age of Mission',
in D. Lewis and A.E. McGrath (eds.), Doing Theology for the People of God: Studies
in Honour ofJ.L Packer (Leicester: Apollos, 1996), pp. 51 -66 (57); E. Best, A Critical