TY - BOOK AU - Peppard, Michael AB - Michael Peppard provides a historical and theological reassessment of the oldest Christian building ever discovered, the third-century house-church at Dura-Europos. Contrary to commonly held assumptions about Christian initiation, Peppard contends that rituals here did not primarily embody notions of death and resurrection. Rather, he portrays the motifs of the church’s wall paintings as those of empowerment, healing, marriage, and incarnation, while boldly reidentifying the figure of a woman formerly believed to be a repentant sinner as the Virgin Mary. This richly illustrated volume is a breakthrough work that enhances our understanding of early Christianity at the nexus of Bible, art, and ritual. DO - 10.26530/OAPEN_604619 ID - OAPEN ID: 650044 ID - OAPEN ID: OCN: 945783781 KW - History KW - Annunciation KW - Anointing KW - Baptism KW - Baptistery KW - Dura-Europos KW - Jesus KW - Psalms L1 - https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/bd51ad75-6fd9-4794-9585-05025d4bbb0f/650044.pdf LA - English LK - http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/30055 PB - Yale University Press PP - New Haven PY - 2016 SN - 9780300216516 TI - The World's Oldest Churchnull ER -