Confession :: essays research papers

ascertainfessionForgive me Father, for I have infernoned. This simple phrase from papist Catholic dogma conjures up images of famous Hollywood exculpations and dramatizations, but the echt root of the phrase has a much more obscure past. non alone found in modern Catholicism, the excuse 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, make by one who has been accused or charged with an offense (Bookshelf). However, Webster to a fault recognizes the less thought of definition of the confession of faith as an assertion of belief in the doctrines of a posticular faith a reliance (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 prevalent since the wo rd can also mean to acknowledge or avow. Thus, with the arrest of the Latin root, one may speak of the sinner who confesses his sin, or of the martyrise 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 role, 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 induce to explore the development of the phenomenon and its function in modern religion. A viridity 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 ritual ized group avowal of sin as part of Sunday worship moreover, in Judaism it developed into the one-year congregational confession of sins known as Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Gentz 290). some(prenominal) examples of early confession resemble todays modern conceit of publicly professing ones faith and acknowledging ones sins before a recipient, in this case being the congregation as a whole, but it wasnt until later in Eastern and horse opera Christianity that the individual confession emerged.