ABSTRACT
This chapter describes basic hypothesis that is concerned with what the author have termed implicit theology. It outlines why attention to this area is important for the field of theology and the practice of the churches. One of the most pressing challenges faced by theology and the churches is how to engage with contemporary culture. The chapter suggests that the factor that is most worthy of attention is the relationship between socio-cultural expectations around birth and the self understanding of the church in relation to baptism. Churches in Western Europe have, generally speaking, experienced or begun to experience a sharp decline in the numbers of families requesting baptism over the last 50 years. In both churching and baptism, the liminality of the mother and child is ended by a rite of passage. Congregational studies can be especially important when considering baptismal practice.
