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......
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Approximate Word Count: 735
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |