What is the Lutheran view on private Confession and absolution from a pastor?

[Athanasias]

A few years back(around 2002) I remember reading that certain Lutheran seminaries began to promote private confession and absolution on a more regular basis to their sem students.

What is your thought on that? And What does confession and absolution mean to a Lutheran in their theology? Is it considered a sacrament or quasi-sacramental in Lutheran theology? And is private confession a regular practice in some Lutheran circles today? Just curious. Thanks and God bless you!


In Jesus through Mary,
Athanasias M.T.S.

 

[cerette]

A few years back(around 2002) I remember reading that certain Lutheran seminaries began to promote private confession and absolution on a more regular basis to their sem students.

What is your thought on that? And What does confession and absolution mean to a Lutheran in their theology? Is it considered a sacrament or quasi-sacramental in Lutheran theology? And is private confession a regular practice in some Lutheran circles today? Just curious. Thanks and God bless you!


In Jesus through Mary,
Athanasias M.T.S.

Hi,
the Lutheran congregations in USA and Canada that I am familiar with, don't seem to practice this very much. However, in my former church in Sweden (a Lutheran free church) it was quite common. I did it weekly for years.
No, it's not a sacrament in the same sense that baptism and communion is, but absolution is a very precious thing and should be highly regarded. (Melanchton and Luther had different definitions of the word 'sacrament' and hence you may find different opinions in lutheran theology regarding absolution..but it should be noted that the difference is there because of a difference in understanding the term!)

 

[Athanasias]

Hi,
the Lutheran congregations in USA and Canada that I am familiar with, don't seem to practice this very much. However, in my former church in Sweden (a Lutheran free church) it was quite common. I did it weekly for years.
No, it's not a sacrament in the same sense that baptism and communion is, but absolution is a very precious thing and should be highly regarded. (Melanchton and Luther had different definitions of the word 'sacrament' and hence you may find different opinions in lutheran theology regarding absolution..but it should be noted that the difference is there because of a difference in understanding the term!)

Thank you very much. I am very happy to hear that some Lutheran congregations in the world still practice this on a regular basis. I am curious though when it comes to the definition of sacrament who won on what it means Luther or Melanchthon or does it just depend on what branch of Lutheran you are in understanding how this is interpreted??

 

[DaRev]

A few years back(around 2002) I remember reading that certain Lutheran seminaries began to promote private confession and absolution on a more regular basis to their sem students.

What is your thought on that? And What does confession and absolution mean to a Lutheran in their theology? Is it considered a sacrament or quasi-sacramental in Lutheran theology? And is private confession a regular practice in some Lutheran circles today? Just curious. Thanks and God bless you!

Private confession and absolution has always been around in the Lutheran Church, but has fallen out of regular use in more recent times. The seminaries in the LCMS have always encouraged private confession. Corporate confession and absolution is the norm and is normally done at the beginning of the Divine Service in preparation to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. In the Lutheran Church the Sacraments are defined as being instituted by Christ, conveys the forgiveness of sins, and includes a physical element. Based on this definition, there are two Sacraments - Baptism and the Lord's Supper. While Absolution has often been called the third sacrament, it is actually tied to and is a continuation of our Baptism.

 

[cerette]

Thank you very much. I am very happy to hear that some Lutheran congregations in the world still practice this on a regular basis. I am curious though when it comes to the definition of sacrament who won on what it means Luther or Melanchthon or does it just depend on what branch of Lutheran you are in understanding how this is interpreted??

I don't think anyone "won" as it was never a battle over doctrine or anything, it's just two different ways of defining a word and the different definitions lead to different answers with regard to absolution. So basically, there is no simple yes/no answer to the question, as we should first explain that there is the earlier mentioned difference in understanding the term....

 

[Aibrean]

We have private confession available at various times. Sometimes it's on the calendar or you can make an appointment.

 

[Athanasias]

Private confession and absolution has always been around in the Lutheran Church, but has fallen out of regular use in more recent times. The seminaries in the LCMS have always encouraged private confession. Corporate confession and absolution is the norm and is normally done at the beginning of the Divine Service in preparation to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. In the Lutheran Church the Sacraments are defined as being instituted by Christ, conveys the forgiveness of sins, and includes a physical element. Based on this definition, there are two Sacraments - Baptism and the Lord's Supper. While Absolution has often been called the third sacrament, it is actually tied to and is a continuation of our Baptism.

Thanks Rev this has also been helpful. We also have a corporate type of confession and absolution at the beginning of each mass too. So neat this is also something we have in common!

 

[Athanasias]

We have private confession available at various times. Sometimes it's on the calendar or you can make an appointment.

I think that is very cool!

 

[gracefulone1980]

This is the same at my church.

We have private confession available at various times. Sometimes it's on the calendar or you can make an appointment.

 

[Athanasias]

This is the same at my church.

Wow I am heartened to hear this is more of a common practice in Lutheran circles then I thought. Cool. this is another thing our two faiths have in common then.