The Modern Confessional: A Study of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

By: Dr. Jon C. Jenkins

It seems "The Modern Confessional" is mostly empty these days, gathering dust, and reminding us of a seemingly dim dark past, in which confessions were heard, penances were prescribed, and penitents were made to feel miserable about their sins, without offering any real healing or guidance. But is this a true assessment of the confessional? Did confession ever have anything to offer, and does it potentially have something greater to offer now for a modern audience? History teaches us that we have a constant need for reconciliation with the Lord, and that the means of this reconciliation has changed and evolved over time. The problem with confession in the 21st century is that it appears to be following a Reformation model that was responding to a uniquely Medieval spirituality, which simply does not exist in the culture of today. As such, the clergy and laity need to be trained in more modern means of attending to the spiritual needs of their souls, and to be wary of the cult of autonomy in modern culture that teaches us that our sin is really no one else's business and that it is possible to solve our own problems without the love and support of our Church's leadership and community. Within these pages, the reader will discover the history of confessional practice and atonement from the Bible to now, take a glimpse of our current culture's surprising response to the confessional, and demonstrate how the confessional practices of old may be amended or even resurrected so to adopt a model of confession that will offer modern confessors potential for greater success in guiding penitent souls back to God in an age that is desperate for answers and remedies to sin.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0692744436
• ISBN13: 9780692744437
• Release Date: June 2016
• Publisher: Jon C. Jenkins
• Length: 386 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.9" x 5.5"