Home > Theology and Religion
Question: A) With reference to the sources you have studied, discuss the teaching of the Early Church on sin and repentance.
B) Comment critically on the statement that Christians today, having lost a sense of sin, find such teachings irrelevant.
Answer: According to the Protestant reformer John Calvin repentance is ‘a true conversion of our life to God, proceeding from a serious fear of God, and consisting in the mortification of the flesh and …the vivification of the spirit’. The ‘doctrine’ of post-baptismal repentance referred to teachings that extracted the meaning and significance of sin, baptism and repentance and how it was to be understood; it provided a glimpse of the community that the penitent were again brought into and for those outside the church. The ‘practice’ of repentance or ‘penance’ refers to the administration of punishment and forgiveness upon confession. Throughout the New Testament canon, different religious concepts and spiritual benefits are associated with penance and doctrinal confession e.g. faith, purification, union with Jesus’ death and resurrection, readmission to the church, salvation...(short extract)
To download the full answer, please Sign in or Register then make a payment or submit 3 of your essays.
- Subject: Theology and Religious Studies
- Course: Theology and Religion
- Level: Degree
- Year: 2nd/3rd
- Mark: Not available
- Words: 2954
- Date submitted: March 07, 2013
- Date written: Not available
- References: No
- Document type: Essay*
- Essay ID: 4547
