I didn’t get wet and I remained a Protestant. Amazing how handy those bridges are.
Since the river runs through the city, it is hard not to cross it when navigating Rome. This makes me wonder why the phrase is supposed to signify converting to Roman Catholicism.
This answer likely makes the most sense:
I don’t know where the phrase was first used, but it’s based on the geography of Rome. St. Peter’s Basilica & Vatican City are located on the opposite (west) side of the Tiber River from classical Rome (on the east) with its famous seven hills, Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Imperial Palace, Circus Maximus, and whatnot.
I would guess part of the idea in the language is that a Gentile crosses from paganism (represented by classical Rome) to Christianity (represented by St. Peter’s) through the waters of baptism (represented by the Tiber). Of course, not everyone who now “crosses the Tiber” was a pagan before doing so. Some are Christians, some are Jews. But I do think it’s a possible dimension of the metaphor.
But given the way that Roman Catholicism incorporated pagan philosophy (read Aristotle), does this make sense?
Old Life 
But given the way that Roman Catholicism incorporated pagan philosophy (read Aristotle), does this make sense?
Your novel notion of a paradigm crossing is logically a bridge too far over the Tiber.
-Bryan
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But of course, one must ask what is the intended meaning behind the phrase? And – also to be fair – the expression is that one has “swam” the Tiber not crossed it – the idea of swimming has such a greater intention to it than simply “crossing”. By your definition, one might just as well have said that they did, indeed, “let sleeping dogs lie” and they still got bitten.
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Wesley:
Gotta ask, is that your name, or your internet CB handle?
If the latter, for admiration or for amusement?
Any answer would be quite fine around here…
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Swimming, crossing, whichever way you convert to RC, you’re in big trouble.
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Kent –
name is really Wesley. Have written no hymns nor do I purport Wesleyanism. Named after my dad’s room mate in bible school. Why do you ask, or did I pretty much cover it?
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An interesting name on this board. My curiosity is sated.
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Hmm. I always assumed it was derived from “Crossing the Rubicon,” referencing Caesar’s fateful decision and now referring to any irrevocable, “now-the-die-is-cast” commitment. Combine that with the Tiber’s iconic status as a Roman landmark, and voila!
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Bryan Cross(ed) the Tiber?
Everything is but six degrees of separation from that man.
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Wesley, have you seen the Tiber? It’s dirty. Who would swim it?
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D. G. –
only seen it in pictures; hard to get a sense from there. I’m sure you’re right.
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Probably cleaner than the Ganges.
“I’ll take great rivers of world religions for $100, Alex.”
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By the way, a warning from homepage of the Augustana Catholic Church:
“FYI PURGATORY is real and just might be the Institute for the Re-education of Protestants.”
And unfortunately, we missed the sign up date to have our departed loved ones prayed for here:
http://purgatoryforgottenchurch.com/sign-up-departed-souls/
I guess utter and complete grace just isn’t logical to these guys.
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Chris, since I missed the deadline, I am glad (on this Father’s Day and anniversary of my mother’s birth) that my departed parents’ sainthood did not depend on the sausage-making of the Roman curia.
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