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InChristianity,ablution is a prescribed washing of part or all of the body or possessions, such as clothing or ceremonial objects, with the intent ofpurification or dedication.[1] In Christianity, bothbaptism andfootwashing are forms of ablution. Prior to praying thecanonical hours atseven fixed prayer times,Oriental Orthodox Christians wash their hands and face (cf.Agpeya,Shehimo).[2][3] In liturgical churches, ablution can refer to purifying fingers or vessels related to theEucharist.[4] In theNew Testament, washing also occurs in reference to rites of Judaism[5] part of the action of a healing by Jesus,[6] the preparation of a body for burial,[7] the washing of nets by fishermen,[8] a person's personal washing of the face to appear in public,[9] the cleansing of an injured person's wounds,[10]Pontius Pilate's washing of his hands as a symbolic claim of innocence[11] and foot washing,[12] which is arite within the Christian Churches.[13][14] According to theGospel of Matthew,Pontius Pilate declared himself innocent of the blood ofJesus by washing his hands.[15] This act of Pilate may not, however, have been borrowed from the custom of the Jews. The same practice was common among theGreeks andRomans.
According to Christian tradition, thePharisees carried the practice of ablution to great excess.[16] TheGospel of Mark refers to their ceremonial ablutions: "For the Pharisees…wash their hands 'oft'"[17] or, more accurately, "with the fist" (R.V., "diligently"); or, asTheophylact of Bulgaria explains it, "up to the elbow," referring to the actual word used in theGreek New Testament, πυγμήpygmē, which refers to the arm from the elbow to the tips of the fingers.[18][19] In theBook of Acts,Paul and other men performed ablution before entering theTemple in Jerusalem: "Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them."[20]
In theOld Testament, ablution was considered a prerequisite to approaching God, whether by means of sacrifice, prayer, or entering a holy place.[21] Around the time ofTertullian, anearly Church Father, it was customary for Christians to wash their hands (manulavium), head (capitilavium) and feet (pedilavium) beforeprayer, as well as before receivingHoly Communion.[22] Therite offootwashing employed a basin of water and linen towels, done in theimitation of Christ (as recorded by the early Christian apologist Tertullian).[23] Churches from the time ofConstantine the Great were thus built with anexonarthex that included acantharus where Christians would wash their hands, face and feet before entering the worship space.[24][22] The practice of ablutions before prayer and worship in Christianitysymbolizes "separation from sins of the spirit and surrender to the Lord."[22]
TheBible has many rituals of purification relating tomenstruation,childbirth,sexual relations,nocturnal emission,unusual bodily fluids,skin disease,death, andanimal sacrifices. The Biblicalrituals of purification ranging in areas from the mundane private rituals ofpersonal hygiene and toilet etiquette to the complex public rituals of social etiquette.[25]John Chrysostom, a prominent Church Father of Christianity revered in the Orthodox, Nestorian, Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican traditions, taught that people should wash their hands before picking up a copy of the Bible (he enjoined women to wear aheadcovering if they were not already veiled at home prior to touching the Bible). This is to show respect for the Bible and in the Middle East and in the Indian subcontinent, Christians place their copies of Scripture in arehal to have it rest in an elevated position.[26] TheEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church prescribes several kinds ofhand washing for example after leaving the latrine, lavatory or bathhouse, or before prayer, or after eating a meal.[27] The women in theEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church are prohibited from entering the church temple duringmenses; and the men do not enter a church the day after they have had intercourse with their wives.[28]
Christianity has always placed a strong emphasis onhygiene.[29] The early Church denounced themixed bathing prevalent in Roman pools, as well as the pagan custom of women naked bathing in front of men; as such theDidascalia Apostolorum, an early Christian manual, enjoined believing men and women to use baths that were separated by gender, which contributed to hygiene and good health according to theChurch FatherClement of Alexandria.[30][31] The Church also builtpublic bathing facilities that were separate for both sexes near monasteries and pilgrimage sites; also, the popes situated baths within church basilicas and monasteries since the early Middle Ages.[32] PopeGregory the Great urged his followers on value of bathing as a bodily need.[33] Contrary to popular belief[34]bathing andsanitation were not lost in Europe with the collapse of theRoman Empire.[35][36]Soapmaking first became an established trade during the so-called "Dark Ages". The Romans usedscentedoils (mostly from Egypt), among other alternatives. By the mid-19th century, the English urbanised middle classes had formed an ideology of cleanliness that ranked alongside typicalVictorian concepts, such as Christianity, respectability andsocial progress.[37]The Salvation Army has adopted movement of the deployment of thepersonal hygiene,[38] and by providingpersonal hygiene products.[39][40]
TheBible has many rituals of purification relating tomenstruation,childbirth,sexual relations,nocturnal emission,unusual bodily fluids,skin disease,death, andanimal sacrifices. In theOld Testament, ablution was considered a prerequisite to approaching God, whether by means of sacrifice, prayer, or entering a holy place.[21]
The Bible includes various regulations aboutbathing:
A subsequent seven clean days are then required, culminating in a ritual and temple offering before thezav is clean of his malady:
And also references to hand-washing:
TheMikveh in theBible is abath used for the purpose of ritual immersion. The word is employed in its broader sense but generally means a collection of water.[41] Several biblical regulations specify that full immersion in water is required to regainritual purity after ritually impure incidents have occurred.[42] A person was required to be ritually pure in order to enter the Temple. In this context, "purity" and "impurity" are imperfect translations of the Hebrew"tahara" and "tumah", respectively, in that the negative connotation of the word impurity is not intended; rather being "impure" is indicative of being in a state in which certain things are prohibited until one has become "pure" again by immersion in a mikveh.
After thedestruction of the Temple, the mikveh's main uses remained as follows:
Traditionally, Christianity adhered to the biblical regulation requiring the purification of women after childbirth; this practice, was adapted into a special ritual known as thechurching of women, for which there exists liturgy in theChurch of England'sBook of Common Prayer, but its use is now rare inWestern Christianity. The churching of women is still performed in a number ofEastern Christian churches (Eastern Orthodox,Oriental Orthodox andEastern Catholic churches).
Oriental Orthodox Churches such as theCoptic Orthodox,Ethiopian Orthodox,Eritrean Orthodox, places a heavier emphasis on Old Testament teachings, and its followers adhere to certain practices such as observing days ofritual purification.[43][44] Before praying, they wash their hands and face in order to be clean before and present their best to God.[2][45] TheEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church prescribes several kinds ofhand washing for example after leaving the latrine, lavatory or bathhouse, or before prayer, or after eating a meal.[27] The women in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church are prohibited from entering the church temple duringmenses; and the men do not enter a church the day after they have had intercourse with their wives.[28]
Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox,Lutherans andHigh churchAnglicans are also traditionally required to regularly attendconfession, as a form of ritual purification fromsin, especially aspreparation before receiving theEucharist. For Catholics, this is required at least once a year and required for those who are guilty of unconfessedmortal sins.[46]
InReformed tradition,ritual purity is achieved through the Confession of Sins, and Assurance of Forgiveness, andSanctification. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers offer their whole being and labor as a 'living sacrifice'; and cleanliness becomes a way of life (See Romans 12:1, and John 13:5–10 (the Washing of the Feet).
InAnabaptist Christianity (inclusive ofMennonites,Amish,Hutterites,Bruderhof,Schwarzenau Brethren,River Brethren andApostolic Christians),footwashing is regularly practiced as an ordinance, in obedience to Jesus's command inJohn 13:1–17.[13]
Theearly Church practicedfootwashing, in addition to theHoly Kiss, prior to reception of theEucharist.[23] The early Christian apologistTertullian referenced a basin "of water for the saints' feet", and a "linen towel", used during their "imitation of the feetwashing performed by Christ."[23] The early Church FatherClement of Alexandria linked the new sandals given by toProdigal Son with feetwashing, describing "non-perishable shoes that are only fit to be worn by those who have had their feet washed by Jesus, the Teacher and Lord."[23] The early Church thus saw footwashing to be connected torepentance, involving a spiritual cleansing by Jesus.[23]
Acantharus is a fountain used byChristians for ablution before entering achurch.[24][47][48] These ablutions involve the washing of the hands, head, and feet.[48] The cantharus is traditionally located in theexonarthex of the church.[47][22] The water emitted by a cantharus is to be running water.[49] The practice of ablutions before prayer and worship in Christianitysymbolizes "separation from sins of the spirit and surrender to the Lord."[22]Eusebius recorded this practice of canthari located in the courtyards of churches, for the faithful to wash themselves (especially the hands and feet) before entering a Christian house of worship.[23][48] The practice has its origins Jewish practice of performing ablutions before entering into the presence of God (cf.Exodus 30:17–21).[47][24] Though canthari are not as prevalent anymore inWestern Christianity, they are found inEastern Christian andOriental Christian churches.[24]
Christianity has always placed a strong emphasis onhygiene,[29] andwater plays a role in theChristian rituals.[50] Theearly Christian Church denounced the practice ofmixed bathing in Roman pools, as well as the pagan custom of women naked bathing in front of men; as such theDidascalia Apostolorum, an early Christian manual, enjoined believing men and women to go to bathing facilities separated by gender, which contributed to hygiene and good health according to theChurch Fathers, includingClement of Alexandria andTertullian.[30][31] The Church also builtpublic bathing facilities that were separate for both sexes near monasteries and pilgrimage sites; also, the popes situated baths within church basilicas and monasteries since the early Middle Ages.[32] PopeGregory the Great urged his followers on value of bathing as a bodily need.[33]
Greatbathhouses were built inByzantine centers such asConstantinople andAntioch,[51] and thepopes allocated to the Romans bathing throughdiaconia, or privateLateran baths, or even a myriad of monasticbath houses functioning in eighth and ninth centuries.[33] Popes maintained their baths in their residences which described by scholar Paolo Squatriti as " luxurious baths", and bath houses including hot baths incorporated into Christian Church buildings or those of monasteries, which known as "charity baths" because they served both the clerics and needy poor people.[52] Public bathing were common in medievalChristendom larger towns and cities such asParis,Regensburg andNaples.[53][54] Catholic religious orders of theAugustinians' andBenedictines' rules containedritual purification,[55] and inspired byBenedict of Nursia encouragement for the practice of therapeutic bathing; Benedictine monks played a role in the development and promotion ofspas.[56]Protestant Christianity also played a prominent role in the development of the British spas.[56]
In circa 1454 popeNicholas V commissioned building abathpalace inViterbo, and the construction at theBagno del Papa was continued on through the reigns of several popes after Nicholas V. The Vatican accounts mention of payments "for building done at the bath palace of Viterbo" during the reigns ofCalixtus III,Paul II, andSixtus IV. There also is evidence PopePius II was responsible for the addition of a western wing to the building.[57]
Contrary to popular belief[58]bathing andsanitation were not lost in Europe with the collapse of theRoman Empire, as the spread of theBlack Death made "Medieval people look for a link between health and hygiene".[35][36]Soapmaking first became an established trade during the so-called "Dark Ages".[59][60] TheRomans usedscentedoils (mostly from Egypt), among other alternatives. By the 15th century, the manufacture of soap in theChristendom had become virtually industrialized, with sources inAntwerp,Castile,Marseille,Naples andVenice.[60]
By the mid-19th century, the English urbanised middle classes had formed an ideology of cleanliness that ranked alongside typicalVictorian concepts, such as Christianity, respectability andsocial progress.[37]The Salvation Army has adopted movement of the deployment of thepersonal hygiene,[38] and by providingpersonal hygiene products, such as atoothbrush,toothpaste, andsoap.[39][61] A major contribution of theChristian missionaries inAfrica,[62]China,[63]Guatemala,[64]India,[65][66]Indonesia,[67]Korea,[68] and other places was betterhealth care of the people throughhygiene and introducing and distributing thesoaps,[69] and "cleanliness and hygiene became an important marker of being identified as a Christian".[70]
Believing that onEpiphany day water becomes holy and is imbued with special powers,Eastern Orthodox cut holes in the ice of lakes and rivers, often in the shape of the cross, to bathe in the freezing water.[71] Christianity strongly affected the development ofholy wells inEurope and theMiddle East, and its water are known for itshealing properties.[72]
Theuse of water in manyChristian countries is due in part to the Biblical toilet etiquette which encourages washing after all instances of defecation.[73] Thebidet is common in predominantlyCatholic countries where water is considered essential foranal cleansing,[74][75] and in some traditionallyOrthodox andLutheran countries such asGreece andFinland respectively, wherebidet showers are common.[76]
In theRoman Rite, the celebrant washes his hands before vesting forMass, but with another prayer (Da, Domine, virtutem). This is said privately in thevestry. He will then wash his hands again after theoffertory—this is the ceremony that is known as thelavabo proper. This washing appears in both theTridentine Mass, and in theMass of Paul VI. The reason for this "second" washing of hands probably developed from the long ceremony of receiving the loaves and vessels of wine from the people at the offertory that was used in Rome.[77] In theGallican Rite the offerings were prepared before Mass began, as in the EasternLiturgy of Preparation, so there was no long version of the offertory nor place for a lavabo before the Eucharistic Prayer. In theMiddle Ages, the Roman Rite actually had two washing of hands, one before and one after the offertory. This first one has since disappeared, and the one which remains is the second.[78]
In theTridentine Mass, as well as in LutheranMasses ofEvangelical Catholic churchmanship and in AnglicanMasses ofAnglo-Catholic churchmanship, the term "ablutions" refers to when thepriest rinses his hands first in wine and then in water following the Communion. It is to be distinguished from thelavabo, when the celebrant washes his hands with water only, reciting the words ofPsalm 26:6–12 (KJV—in theSeptuagint it is Psalm 25) at theoffertory.
In the commonMass of Paul VI, theLutheranDivine Service and theAnglicanEucharist the priest does not normally use wine to wash his hands at the ablution, although this is permitted, but only water.
Prior to praying thecanonical hours atseven fixed prayer times,Oriental Orthodox Christians wash their hands, face and feet (cf.Agpeya,Shehimo).[79][2][3]
In theEastern Orthodox andGreek-Catholic Churches, the term "ablution" refers to consuming the remainder of the Gifts (the Body and Blood of Christ) at the end of theDivine Liturgy.Holy Communion is always received in both Species (the Body and the Blood of Christ) not only by the clergy but also by the faithful. This is accomplished by placing the particles of the consecratedLamb (bread) into thechalice, and distributing Communion to the faithful with a spoon. The portion which remains in the chalice afterwards must be consumed.
The ablutions will normally be performed by thedeacon, but if no deacon is serving the priest will do them. After theLitany of Thanksgiving that follows Communion, the deacon will come into thesanctuary and kneel, placing his forehead on theHoly Table (Altar) and the priest will bless him to consume the Gifts, which is done at theProthesis (Table of Oblation). First, using theliturgical spoon he will consume all of the Body and Blood of Christ which remain in the chalice. Then he will pour hot water on thediskos (paten), which is then poured into the chalice and consumed (this is to consume any particles that may remain on the diskos). Next theliturgical spear, spoon and chalice will be rinsed first with wine and then with hot water, which are then consumed. All of the sacred vessels are then wiped dry with a towel, wrapped in their cloth coverings and put away.
Because the ablutions necessarily require consuming theHoly Mysteries (theBody andBlood of Christ), a priest or deacon may only perform them after having fully prepared himself throughfasting and the lengthyPreparation for Holy Communion.
When a priest must take Holy Communion to the sick or homebound, if he has not prepared himself to receive the Holy Mysteries, he may ablute the chalice by pouring water into it and asking the one to whom he brought the Sacrament (or a Baptized child who because of their youth is not obliged to prepare for Communion) to consume the ablution.
If theReserved Mysteries should become moldy, they must still be consumed in the same manner as the ablutions after Liturgy (normally, a fair amount of wine would be poured over them before consuming them, in order to soften and disinfect them). They should not be burned or buried. To prevent this, when the Mysteries are to be reserved for the sick, they should be thoroughly dried before being placed in theTabernacle.
In Orthodox Christianity, there is also an ablution performed on the eighth day afterBaptism. Immediately after being Baptized, every person, including an infant, isconfirmed using the Mystery (Sacrament) ofChrismation. In theearly church, the places where the person was anointed withChrism were carefully bandaged, and were kept covered for eight days. During this period, the newly illumined (newly baptized person) would also wear his baptismal robe every day. At the end of the eight days, the priest would remove the bandages andbaptismal garment and perform ablutions over him. While the bandaging no longer takes place, the ritual ablutions are still performed.[80]
The newly illumined (newly baptized person) is brought back to the church by hisGodparents for the ablutions. The priest stands him in the center of the church, in front of theHoly Doors, facing east. He loosens the belt of the baptismal robe and prays for him, that God may preserve the newly illumined in purity and illumine him by grace. He then dips a sponge in water and sprinkles him in the sign of the cross saying: "Thou art justified. Thou art illumined. Thou art sanctified. Thou art washed: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Then, as he says the next prayer, he washes each of the places where he had been anointed withChrism. Next he performs theTonsure, symbolic of the life of self-sacrifice a Christian must lead. In modern practice, these ablutions are performed at the end of the baptism service, after the first reception of Holy Communion.
Many Christian churches practice a ceremony of the Washing of Feet,[81] following the example of Jesus in the Gospel.[82] Some interpret this as anordinance which the church is obliged to practice, as withAnabaptist Christianity (inclusive ofMennonites,Amish,Hutterites,Bruderhof,Schwarzenau Brethren,River Brethren andApostolic Christians).[13][81]
St.Benedict of Nursia lays out in hisRule that thefeet of visitors to the monastery should be washed, and also that those who are assigned to serve in the kitchen that week shouldwash the feet of all the brethren. At one time, most of the European monarchs also performed the Washing of Feet in their royal courts onMaundy Thursday, a practice continued by theAustro-Hungarian Emperor and theKing of Spain up to the beginning of the 20th century (seeRoyal Maundy).[83]
Foot washing is also observed by numerous traditions, including Anabaptists,[13]Seventh-day Adventist,Pentecostal, andRadical Pietistic groups, and several types ofSouthern Baptists. Foot washing rites are also practiced by manyRoman Catholic,Lutheran,Anglican andMethodist churches, whereby foot washing is most often experienced in connection withMaundy Thursday services and, sometimes, at ordination services where theBishop may wash the feet of those who are to be ordained. Often in these services, the bishop will wash the feet of the clergy, and inmonasteries theAbbot will wash the feet of the brethren. Though history shows that foot washing has at times been practiced in connection with baptism, and at times as a separate occasion, by far its most common practice has been in connection with theLord's supper service. TheMoravian Church practicedFoot Washing until 1818. There has been some revival of the practice as other liturgical churches have also rediscovered the practice.[84]
When anOrthodox Christian dies, their body is washed and dressed before burial. Although this custom is not considered to impose any sort of ritual purity, it is an important aspect of charitable care for the departed. Ideally, this should not be deferred to an undertaker, but should be performed by family members or friends of the deceased.
When an Orthodox priest or bishop dies, these ablutions and vesting are performed by the clergy, saying the same prayers for eachvestment that are said when the departed bishop or priest vested for theDivine Liturgy. After the body of a Bishop is washed and vested, he is seated in a chair and theDikirion and Trikirion are placed in his hands for the final time.[85]
When an Orthodoxmonk dies, his body is washed and clothed in his monastic habit by brethren of his monastery. Two significant differences are that when hismantle is placed on him, its hem is torn to form bands, with which his body is bound (likeLazarus in the tomb), and hisklobuk is placed on his head backwards, so that themonastic veil covers his face (to show that he had already died to the world, even before his physical death). When an Orthodoxnun dies, the sisterhood of her convent performs the same ministrations for her as are done for monks.
In theRoman Catholic Church, theAbsoute (orabsolution of the dead) is a symbolic ablution of the deceased's body following theRequiem Mass. While specific prayers are said, the coffin isincensed and sprinkled withholy water. The absolution of the dead is only performed in context of theTridentine Mass. Following theSecond Vatican Council, the absolution of the dead was removed from the funeral liturgy of theMass of Paul VI.
Washing and anointing (also called theinitiatory) is atemple ordinance practiced bythe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) andMormon fundamentalists as part of the faith'sendowment ceremony. It is apurification ritual for adults, usually performed at least a year afterbaptism. The ordinance is performed by the authority of theMelchizedek priesthood by an officiator of the same sex as the participant.[86]
In the ritual, a person is sprinkled with water to symbolically wash away the "blood and sins of this generation." After the washing, the person is then anointed to become a "king and priest" or a "queen and priestess" in the afterlife.
Once washed and anointed, the participant is dressed in thetemple garment, a religious undergarment which the participant is instructed to wear throughout his or her life. (Since 2005, participants in the LDS Church version of the ritual already come clothed in this garment prior to the washing and anointing.) Finally, the participant is given a "new name" which he or she is instructed never to reveal except under certain conditions in the temple.
Mormons link the ritual to biblical washings and anointings. The temple garment symbolizes the skins of clothing given toAdam and Eve in theGarden of Eden, and the "new name" is linked to Revelation 2:17, which states that God will give those who overcome "a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."
Prayers 7 times a day are enjoined, and the most strict among the Copts recite one of more of the Psalms of David each time they pray. They always wash their hands and faces before devotions, and turn to the East.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)The Coptic Church observes strict practices concerning circumcision, rituals surrounding menstruation, weekly two-days fasting, 40 ablution, and many other rituals.
It was probably out of the Jewish rite that the practice developed among early Christians, especially in the east, of washing their hands and feet before going into church. Early Christian basilicas had a fountain for ablutions, known as cantharus or phiala, and usually placed in the centre of the atrium. They are still found in some Eastern Orthodox churches, notably at the monastery of Laura at Mount Athos, where the phiala is an imposing structure in front of the entrance covered by a dome resting on eight pillars. In several Orthodox churches today worshippers take off heir shoes and wash their feet before entering the church just as Muslims do before going into a mosque.
... From Fleming's perspective, the transition to Christianity required a good dose of personal and public hygiene ...
... Thus bathing also was considered a part of good health practice. For example, Tertullian attended the baths and believed them hygienic. Clement of Alexandria, while condemning excesses, had given guidelines for Christians who wished to attend the baths ...
... Clement of Alexandria (d. c. 215 CE) allowed that bathing contributed to good health and hygiene ... Christian skeptics could not easily dissuade the baths' practical popularity, however; popes continued to build baths situated within church basilicas and monasteries throughout the early medieval period ...
... but baths were normally considered therapeutic until the days of Gregory the Great, who understood virtuous bathing to be bathing "on account of the needs of body" ...
Adler, Cyrus; Greenstone, Julius H. (1904)."MIḲWEH". InSinger, Isidore; et al. (eds.).The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 588. RetrievedFeb 23, 2016.The Ethiopian and Coptic Churches distinguishes between clean and unclean meats, observes days of ritual purification, and keeps a kind of dual Sabbath on both Saturday and Sunday.
Standing facing the East is the most frequent prayer position. ... This is further emphasized in the fact that Copts pray facing the East, waiting for the return of Jesus in glory; his return as the enthroned Pantocrator is portrayed in the iconography that is placed before the worshippers.
In the Book of Exodus (30, 18–20) Aaron and his sons were required to wash before approaching the altar. Here water is used as a symbol of purification and expiation. But water is also the most common and most indispensable drink. ... So much was the practice a part of the life of the early Church, that in the period after Constantine the "cantharus", or water fountain, became a standard fixture in the courtyard before the basilica to permit the faithful to purify themselves before entering the presence of God.
In the middle of which stood a Fountain for washing as they entered into the Church, called Cantharus and Phiala in some authors. It is further to be noted, that in the middle of the atrium, there was commonly a fountain, or a cistern of water, for people to wash their hands and face, before they went into the church.
In the middle of this court there was as a rule a fountain of running water (thecantharus) for the symbolical purification of those who ere about to enter the church.
Water plays a role in other Christian rituals as well. ... In the early days of Christianity, two to three centuries after Christ, the lavabo (Latin for "I wash myself"), a ritual handwashing vessel and bowl, was introduced as part of Church service.
Public baths were common in the larger towns and cities of Europe by the twelfth century.
The evidence of early medieval laws that enforced punishments for the destruction of bathing houses suggests that such buildings were not rare. That they ... took a bath every week. At places in southern Europe, Roman baths remained in use or were even restored ... The Paris city scribe Nicolas Boileau noted the existence of twenty-six public baths in Paris in 1272
the Gospel of Christ was central to the "missionary" aspect of missionary nursing, the gospel of soap and water was central to "nursing" aspect of their works.
Christian hygiene existed (and still exists) as one small but ever important part of this modernization project. Hygiene provides an incredibly mundane, deeply routinized, marker of Christian civility ...Identifying the rural poor as "The Great Unwashed," Haymaker published Christian pamphlets on health and hygiene, ... of personal hygiene" (filled with soap, toothpaste, and floss), attempt to shape Christian Outreach and Ethnicity.
Along with the use of allopathic medicine, greater hygiene was one of the most frequently mobilized markers of the boundary between Christians and other communities of Chhattisgarh ... The missionaries had made no secret of preaching "soap" along with "salvation,"..
where slavery was in vogue Christianity advocated its end and personal hygiene was encouraged
CLEANLINESS AND GODLINESS: These examples indicate that real cleanliness was becoming the preserve of Europeans, and, it has to be added, of Christianity. Soap became an attribute of God – or rather the Protestant
In this way, Western forms of hygiene, health care and child rearing became an important part of creating the modern Christian in Korea.
A major contribution of the Christian missionaries was better health care of the people through hygiene. Soap, tooth–powder and brushes came to be used increasingly in urban areas.
cleanliness and hygiene became an important marker of being identified as a Christian
Douching is commonly practiced in Catholic countries. The bidet ... is still commonly found in France and other Catholic countries.
The Copts, descendants of these ancient Egyptians, although Christians, have the custom of washing their hands and faces before prayer, and some also wash their feet.
Maundy Thursday (orle mandé; Thursday of theMandatum, Latin, commandment). The name is taken from the first few words sung at the ceremony of the washing of the feet, "I give you a new commandment" (John 13:34); also from the commandment of Christ that we should imitate His loving humility in the washing of the feet (John 13:14–17). The termmandatum (maundy), therefore, was applied to the rite of foot-washing on this day.
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