Leseprobe

97 Lu c i n d a Ma r t i n REB I R TH A central concept in Christianity is the idea that believers can be cleansed of sin and “reborn.” Traditionally, the sacrament of baptism has symbol- ized rebirth, but Böhme emphasizes that inner change is more important than outer ceremonies (Fig. 1). He sees religious renewal as a process so pro- found that it mirrors the birth of a child: “Just as a mother bears a child, so too will the new human being be born in and out of God [...], a child of heaven and paradise” ( Epistles 20.4f.). 84 Böhme describes his own faith struggle as a “birth” and as “storming.” He compares it to the night that his namesake, the biblical patriarch Jacob, spent wres- tling with an angel of God, as recounted in the Book of Genesis. The two fought until “the breaking of the day” at which point the angel granted Jacob his bles­ sing and then “the sun rose upon him” (Gen 32:24- 31). Inspired by this Scripture, Böhme called his first book “Morning Dawn Ascending” or “Aurora,” to point to the moment when his own faith battle was won and God gave him the blessing of rebirth (Fig. 2). He also likens the path to rebirth with the biblical Jacob’s dream of a ladder into heaven, with angels ascending and descending. “Jacob’s Ladder” has traditionally been interpreted as a bridge between heaven and earth and some have associated it with the Church or with Christ Himself. For Böhme, the 1 Unknown artist, German, 17th century, Baptism of Christ, Pen and brown ink, brown wash, Kupferstich-Kabinett, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Inv. no. C 1967-438