People sometimes use the terms Christening and Baptism interchangeably. What they don’t know is that in the past Christening and Baptism have meant two different things. Both Baptisms and Christenings have traditional differences.

Baptism for infants in the Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal Churches is usually termed Christening. By tradition, Christening is where the parents offer their child or baby to Christ and the Christian faith. It this time the child is considered to be spiritually reborn in Christ. This is also traditionally where a child is given his or her name. Parents vow to care for their children and raise them according to Christian faith and set good examples to their child. The family chooses godparents who will help the parents lead the child toward the right path.

When an adult or an older child decides for himself/herself to be dedicated to God, it is called Baptism. Some churchs consider Baptism to be a more active ceremony since it is the adult who decides for himself/herself and not the parents. Baptism includes being fully dipped in a pool of water. Just like when John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Baptism is usually seen as a distinctively Baptist / Evangelical or Methodist tradition.

When a person is a new entrant in a particular religion, it is baptism. This term Is not only used by Christians but can be used by other faiths as well.

Today, the lines that delineates the difference between Christening and Baptism are not clear anymore. The two words are used alternately to denote the infants’ dedication to the Christian faith. Whichever term you fancy to use, they still mean the same thing: dedication to Christ.