Christians have always viewed baptism...
Christians have always viewed baptism as a dramatic portrayal of what the Christian faith is about. Hippolytus (A.D. 215) and others have detailed how converts were baptized. The season of Lent was a time when novices would prepare themselves for baptism and reception into the church. This was a time of intense training when the candidate would learn such statements of faith as the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer. The day before Easter was given to prayer and fasting. During the pre-dawn hours of Easter the converts would parade to the baptismal site.