Troubling the Waters: Debaptism, Agency, and Christian Dialogue with Secular Critique

In many Christian traditions, baptism is generally conferred on infants, who cannot consent to the sacrament. What happens if, as teenagers or adults, they later reject their initiation into Christian faith? This paper will reflect on the Debaptism Movement, which has been gaining popularity across the West in recent years. It will begin with a history of the movement, outline the ideologies, practices, and forms of community that draw nonbelievers together, and explore Christian responses. What can Christian communities learn from the beliefs and practices that undergird Debaptism, what do they reveal about the way Christians understand and live out their shared ecclesial life, and how might theologians seriously engage (a)theologies of baptism as they seek to dialogue with the modern, secular world?