Confession

Christianity

1. An affirmation or profession of faith: (i) the testimony of a martyr or confessor (e.g. 1 Timothy 6. 13); (ii) a doctrinal statement in the Orthodox Church; (iii) Protestant professions of faith, especially of 16th/17th cents.

2. An acknowledgement of sin. In Christianity, this may be made either in worship by a congregation (‘general confession’), or privately to a priest (‘auricular confession’: Lat., ad auriculam, ‘to the ear’), who mediates God's willingness to forgive, and pronounces God's absolution.

The recognition and acknowledgement of fault occurs in all religions, and the term ‘confession’ is applied widely, although what is happening in the context of each religion may be very different.

Judaism

Confession of sin in Judaism (Heb., vidduʾi) is an essential prequisite of expiation. Prayers of confession are part of the synagogue liturgy, particularly at Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, and well-known prayers include Ashamnu (We have incurred guilt) ʿAl het (For the sin), and Avinu malkenu (Our father, Our king).

Buddhism

In Buddhism confession is not made to a divine power and there is no concept of absolution or the forgiveness of sins. The act of confession (pāpa-desanā) is the owning-up to one's failings or shortcomings in order to cultivate greater self-awareness and be freed from the burden of persecutory guilt. The occasion for confession in monastic Buddhism is a formal public event which takes place at the Uposatha ceremony. There is no counterpart to this formal ceremony for lay Buddhists.

Jainism

Confession (alocana and pratikramaṇa) occurs twice daily for monks; laypeople make confession to their guru.