"Drawing from the biblical picture of the church as the bride of Christ, F. LaGard Smith presents baptism as the believer's wedding ceremony with Christ. The result is a sublime view of baptism far surpassing traditional notions of dutiful obedience and magic-like ideas of baptismal regeneration. Through the wedding analogy, baptism is elevated to a personal proclamation of love and loyalty through which true spiritual conversion is given meaning and vitality."