Historical Origins And Development Of Footwashing

At the Last Supper Jesus gave special meaning to an ordinary custom of the Mediterranean world. Associated with the Lord's Supper and with baptismal rites in the early church, footwashing survived as part of the bishop's Maundy Thursday ritual, as a regular practice in monasteries, and as part of court ceremonial. At the same time, based on John 13, medieval and Reformation sects retained footwashing as a regular part of the Communion liturgy.

From Mediterranean Custom to Monastic and Royal Ceremony Although practiced by more than one hundred denominations in North America, liturgical footwashing—"?the sacrament that almost made it?"—remains an enigma to many modern religious persons. Even among practitioners, who are chronologically and usually geographically removed from first-century Palestinian culture, the ritual's meaning is polyvalent. The bodily practice of washing another person's feet has its origins in an Eastern custom of hospitality and was practiced throughout much of the ancient world. On dusty roads in warm, oriental climates, travelers' sandal-clad feet quickly became dirty, so many hosts provided bathing basins for their arriving guests. Hospitality was emphasized when the hosts personally washed their guests' feet, or had their servants perform the act. Mediterranean physicians also sometimes washed and massaged the feet of ill persons before applying restorative oils. Cleanliness was thought necessary to avoid such diseases as leprosy, and—as is often the case—what personal health demands, religion readily sanctions. Hebrew Scriptures speak of this original practice of sanitary self-cleansing (e.g., Gen. 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; Judg. 19:21) and of the washing by a host (1 Sam. 25:41), as well as of the religious requirement of ritual footwashing for priests (Exod. 30:18–21; 40:30–32; 2 Chron. 4:6). Three references to footwashing can be found in canonized Christian writings of the first century. One reference is in Luke 7:36–50, the story of the delinquent host and the gracious woman. A second is in 1 Timothy 5:9–10, where footwashing is a qualification for a widow's enrollment into the care of the church—she must have "?washed the feet of the saints, relieved the afflicted and devoted herself to doing good in every way.?" The third and most important reference in canonical Christian Scriptures is John 13:1–20, where after the Supper, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples, instructing them to follow his example and wash each other's feet. In the Hellenistic world, the unpleasant task of washing feet often was performed by slaves, so Jesus' reported act would be have considered extraordinary. Footwashing practitioners sometimes refer to this fourth gospel pericope as the institution of footwashing as a church sacrament or ordinance. In any event, most scholars agree that, based on the 1 Timothy and the John passages, footwashing was practiced at least in Ephesus and in the Johnannine community of the first century. Several second- and third-century church Fathers, including Irenaeus (fl. 180), Clement of Rome, Cyprian (d. 258), Clement of Alexandria (d. c. 215), and Tertullian (d. c. 220), imply that the liturgical practice of footwashing was practiced in their time. Athanasius (d. 373) charges bishops to wash the feet of weak priests three times a year—at Easter, Pentecost, and Epiphany. Ambrose (d. 397) makes it evident that the practice was used as a postbaptismal ceremony in some areas. While not practiced in the church at Rome, some bishops and clergy washed neophytes' feet in Ambrose's time, especially in Turin, Gaul, North Africa, and possibly Syria. "?I am simply recommending our own rite,?" says Ambrose about footwashing. "?I wish to follow the Roman Church in everything: but we too are not devoid of common sense.?" Other church Fathers indicating some ritual footwashing include Augustine (d. 430) and John Chrysostom (d. 407). The forty-eighth canon of the Synod of Elvira (306) in Spain forbids the practice of footwashing following baptism, so apparently the rite had been practiced in some places there. Ironically, bishops at the seventeenth Synod of Toledo (694) in Spain said "?washing the feet at the feast of Coena Domini which has fallen into disuse in some places must be observed everywhere.?" By the ninth century, postbaptismal footwashing was virtually extinct, but the ritual took on new life in medieval monasteries. Benedict's Rule (sixth century) made provision for regular liturgical footwashing as a mark of humility, as well as for hospitable footwashing for visitors. That Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) recommended the practice is evident in one of his sermons to monastics. Apart from its regular liturgical role in monastic life, footwashing became a part of ecclesiastical and secular court ritual during the Middle Ages. It was employed at coronations of kings and emperors and installations of popes and other leaders. In these ceremonies, the one about to be crowned or installed publicly washed the feet of twelve old, usually poor, lay persons or priests as a sign of humility. In the church and in the courts, it also became associated with Maundy Thursday observances celebrated by leaders washing the feet of those of lower status. Survival as a Sectarian Communion Ritual Medieval sectarian groups preserved the link between footwashing and the Lord's Supper, undoubtedly in part because of their focus on following the New Testament practice literally (John 13). The Albigenses and Waldenses, eleventh- and twelfth-century sects in southern France, Italy, and elsewhere, conducted footwashing ceremonies. The former group practiced footwashing following the Lord's Supper as a response to Jesus' example. Itinerant preachers among the Waldenses washed each other's feet upon arrival at congregations as a gesture of humility and hospitality. Sixteenth-century Anabaptists picked up the practice of footwashing at the Communion service, perhaps from predecessor sects, but more likely directly from John's gospel account. From the time of their inception to today, some Anabaptist groups have practiced footwashing either as a Communion ritual or as a hospitable practice for visiting church leaders. Pilgram Marpeck (c. 1495–1556), a mining engineer who was influential in the Swiss and South German Anabaptist churches, made repeated references to footwashing in his writings, ranking the practice with baptism, forgiveness of sins, teaching, the Lord's Supper, and the laying on of hands. The Dutch Anabaptist leader Dirk Philips (1504–1568) suggested that footwashing is among the ordinances which distinguish the "?true church?" from "?all false and anti-Christian congregations.?" Martin Luther and other Reformers, in their few scattered references to liturgical footwashing, suggested that it simply distinguishes a kind of fanaticism and peculiarity. After stating clearly that "?we have nothing to do with feetwashing with water,?" Luther went on to admonish those with other convictions: "?If you wish to wash your neighbor's feet, see that your heart is really humble, and help every one in becoming better.?" Modern Revivals In the late twentieth-century, footwashing remains a local practice in both Catholic and mainline Protestant religious communities. Where it is practiced, the ritual usually is part of Maundy Thursday celebrations. Smaller Protestant denominations including some Mennonite and Baptist bodies, the Church of God (Anderson, Ind.), and the Church of the Brethren practice footwashing infrequently as part of a love feast Communion or Lord's Supper. Even among these latter groups, the practice is waning in many congregations, partly as the result of acculturation, embarrassment about peculiar customs, and lack of educational materials that explore footwashing's meanings. A full-scale retrieval of the never-universal practice is unlikely, although one may expect continued, meaningful observance of footwashing in the worship services of some historic practitioners as well as in liturgically innovative religious groups.