Rebaptism

Rebaptism is the practice of administering baptism to a person who has already been baptized. In Christian discourse, it is discussed in relation to questions of baptismal validity, community membership, and the appropriate form of baptism for a person’s profession of faith. The term is most closely associated with debates about who may properly receive baptism and under what circumstances, rather than a routine rite.

Historically, rebaptism is strongly linked to the Anabaptist movement of the 16th century, which rejected infant baptism and insisted on adult, conscious confession of faith before baptism. Anabaptists rebaptized individuals who had been baptized as infants, a stance that led to severe persecution and shaped the term’s legacy in religious polemics. In contrast, many ancient and contemporary churches regard baptism as a one-time sacrament and do not practice rebaptism if the original baptism was conducted with proper form and intent.

Contemporary practice varies by tradition. The Catholic and Orthodox churches generally do not rebaptize; they may, however, offer a conditional baptism if there is doubt about the validity of a previous baptism. Many Protestant denominations take a more diverse approach: some recognize baptisms performed in other churches as valid and do not rebaptize, while others—particularly those that emphasize believer’s baptism by immersion—may require or perform a new baptism for new members who come from traditions practicing infant baptism or who desire a profession of personal faith.

See also: Anabaptists, believer’s baptism, infant baptism, sacraments.