con·fes·sion
“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.” This simple phrase from Roman Catholic dogma conjures up images of famous Hollywood confessions and dramatizations, but the real root of the phrase has a much more obscure past. Not only found in modern Catholicism, the confession of sin, along with the confession of faith, can be seen in religious practices throughout the world. The simplest definition Webster gave the confession of sin is “a written or oral statement acknowledging guilt, made by one who has been accused or charged with an offense” (Bookshelf). However, Webster also recognizes the less thought of definition of the confession of faith as “an avowal of belief in the doctrines of a particular faith; a creed” (Bookshelf).
The double-edged meaning of the word “can be partially explained by the etymology” (Eliade 1). The word confession derives from the Latin word confiteor which means to “confess a sin or fault,” but in a more general since the word can also mean “to acknowledge or avow.” Thus, with the understanding of the Latin root, one may speak of the sinner who confesses his sin, or of the martyr who confesses his faith. Regardless of which usage is being applied, the religious rules of the confession must be followed. It must take place in front of a recipient, or one who hears the confession. “In many cases, it is preformed in the interest not only of the one confessing but also of the community to which both the confessing person and the recipient belong” (Eliade 1). With an understanding of the underlying meanings of the confession one may begin to explore the development of the phenomenon and its function in modern religion.
A common way to view the confession of sin is as one part of the entire sacrament of penance. The confession along with the elements of prayer, sacrifice, and penance lead up to the act of absolution or forgiveness ( Gentz 280). In early Christian religion the confession began as a “ritualized group avowal of sin as part of Sunday worship;” moreover, in Judaism it developed into the annual congregational confession of sins known as Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Gentz 290). Both examples of early confession resemble today’s modern idea of publicly professing one’s faith and acknowledging one’s sins before a recipient, in this case being the congregation as a whole, but it wasn’t until later in Eastern and Western Christianity that the individual confession emerged.
Unlike other texts of the time, Augustine’s confessions are less of an epic tale or instructive texts, both of which soug...
“Recovering the Scandal of the Cross,” (Green, Baker) presents an alternative means of thinking for Christians theologically. The author’s task of interpreting culture and communicating within a culture is incredibly difficult. Much of the biblical teaching of God is rooted into communicating to a specific group of people and a certain culture. Yet God has chosen the Bible as the method of communicating himself to the world. Green and Baker begin to lay the groundwork of historical influence of atonement from Anselm and Irenaeus. They later introduce ideas from Charles Hodge and penal substitution. There are four major models of explanations of the atonement: Christus Victor, penal substitution, satisfaction and moral influence. Although others are mentioned in the book, this sets the stage of the historic dilemma from which they can view atonement in their discussion of tradition.
Confessions by Augustine is a theological autobiography about confessions. What did it mean to confess? To confess in Augustine’s time was meant both to give an account of fault to God and to praise God. Augustine talks about his sinfulness and his faithfulness to his God. Confessions is a story of Augustine’s life, starting from his birth to his mothers death. “You have made us for yourselves, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”(Confessions, 1.1.1)
Augustine’s interpretation of the human memory serves as an answer to the mystery that surrounds the concept and provides his readers somewhat of a “peace of mind” after reading his analyses in Book 10. Confessions is a powerful piece of philosophical literature that has helped shape modern Christianity as we read and practice.
Such as sins we do, no matter how young or old you are, you will eventually make bad decisions. We aren’t perfect but no matter how bad our sin is; we shouldn’t take pleasure of it because this can worsen us. This bad bodily habit can result for continuous confessions. This confession is one long prayer and must confess all of your sin’s to God. This will guide you to a stronger belief in God. Like Saint Augustine all his sins made him praise to God who mercifully directed his path and brought him out of misery and error. Overall, he wants his audience to believe that God is the creator of everything and most importantly the savior in all of us. However, times have changed and that the confession was written a long time ago. Nowadays many people don’t have a religion because people are more open with their feelings. For instance, exposing their sexuality. Many churches still don’t accept same-sex marriage and that the bible is somewhat unfair. Yet sins are constant, but religion can change over time. I personally think that everyone has their own savior, not just relating to a God or any type of religion. It could be yourself, your significant other, family, friends, etc. In the end, religion does not matter, just know the basic principles in life and that is: don’t hurt others and always be
Langmuir, G., ‘Review: Sin and Fear: The Emergence of a Western Guilt Culture, 13th-18th Centuries’, Medieval Academy of America, Vol. 67, No. 3 (1992), 657-659.
People need redemption from our continual sin, otherwise, we just wallow in the shallowness of that aspect of our lives. Sin stays with an individual and effects the way their lives are lived. Unless they confront their past the sin will always be present. For example, Khaled Hossei’s , The Kite Runner explains how Amir- one of the main characters in the novel redeems himself because he undergoes strong guilt from his past sins. By examining Amir’s sins in his childhood, in his teenage years and in adulthood, his attainment of atonement is revealed. Particularly Amir atones for his past sins of being an eyewitness of Hassan rape who is his most loyal and devoted servant. He is influenced by this moment because he realizes that Hassan always
· Sorry – this is when we say sorry for our sins in ways of prayer
Theology and different religions, all contain information about sin. Sin is recognized as an unholy thing to possess, therefore, sin is not taken lightly. In Roman Catholicism, if one’s sins are serious enough, one may not receive eternal life with God, in Heaven. Severe punishments may occur, if one sins. Sin is thought to have been caused by mankind. The perception of sin continues to evolve as the analysis of texts continues.
What I said was altogether false against my grandfather and Mr. Burroughs, which I did to save my life and to have my liberty; but the Lord, charging it to my conscience, made me in so much horror that I could not contain myself before I denied my confession…”(Godbeer 147).
Marcuse, Harold. "Translation of The Stuttgart Delaration of Guilt." 12 July 2014. 19 November 2014 <www.markusgemeinde-stuttgart.de>.
When people are only given the options of confess or face condemnation, nothing good can result from that
Augustine. “Confessions”. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 1113-41. Print.
There was a man by the name of Thomas of Elderfield who had a life full of ups and downs, but who never lost his faith in Christianity. He came from a poor family and worked his way up the social ladder to a successful business man. This climb up the social ladder was beneficial to him, but soon led to trouble as he attracted a suitor. After several years of infidelity with the suitor, Thomas’s conscious got to him and he discontinued seeing the married woman. His faith in God kept him from returning to her despite her repeated attempts at pulling him into sin. Thomas could not live with the weight of the sin on his shoulders so he went to a priest to confess what was causing him anguish and repent for his sins. “Eventually God's grace intervened and remorse stung him; so he presented himself to a priest and took his healthy advice to do proper penance for his offence,” (Malmesbury, par. 2). The woman remarried a man named George years after her first husband had passed away. In time George found out about his new wife’s previous infidelity...
...y responsible for our own salvation and "neither shall the son have any part in his father's guilt, nor the father answer for the son's transgressions" (154).