Baptismal Font

Definition and Meaning

A baptismal font is a vessel that holds the water used for baptism. The term may also refer to a fixture in which such a vessel is set and secured on a pedestal. In Korean the font is called seryeban (洗禮盤) or seryedae (baptismal stand). The character ban (盤) denotes a broad, shallow vessel, such as a small tray-table or a serving tray.

The baptismal font is used chiefly in the modes of baptism in which water is sprinkled or poured on the head. The facility used for baptism by immersion, in which the whole body is submerged, is distinguished from it and called a baptistery pool. In the Catholic Church in Korea, the same fixture is also called seryedae.

Biblical and Historical Background

The baptismal font does not appear in the Bible. The baptisms recorded in the New Testament were performed in natural bodies of water, such as the Jordan River or water found by the roadside (Matthew 3:6; Acts 8:36-38). Some interpreters regard the laver of the tabernacle (Exodus 30:18) or the molten sea of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:23) as symbols of washing and associate them with the baptismal font.

The Didache, a document of the early church, directs that baptism be administered in running water. It adds that when water is not plentiful, water may be poured on the head three times. The church later built pools for baptism as well as separate buildings called baptisteries, and the octagonal form came into wide use.

In the Middle Ages, as infant baptism became the common practice, small stone fonts were often placed near the church entrance. This arrangement expressed the idea that baptism is the door through which one enters the church community. After the Reformation, the Reformed tradition emphasized that baptism should be administered before the congregation, and the font was therefore often placed near the pulpit.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Most denominations, including the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Holiness churches, administer baptism and infant baptism by applying water to the head. Relatively few sanctuaries have a fixed baptismal font. Usually a small baptismal bowl made of silver or brass is set on a table in front of the pulpit during the rite, and this bowl is also called a baptismal font in the broad sense.
• The Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea follow traditions that place great importance on liturgy (fixed forms and rites of worship). For this reason, their sanctuaries relatively often contain a fixed font made of stone or wood.
• Baptists regard immersion as the biblical mode and do not practice infant baptism. They therefore use a baptistery pool rather than a font. The views of the various denominations on the two modes are discussed in the article Baptism and Immersion.
• Some Presbyterian and Methodist churches install a fixed baptismal font beside the pulpit when renovating their worship spaces.