Confession - 2nd Edition

by Adrienne von Speyr

Overview

In this second edition of her profound book on confession, which theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar calls "one of her most central works", Adrienne von Speyr discusses the moral and practical aspects of this sacrament in great depth. The most complete spiritual treatise on confession ever written, the book covers conversion, scruples, contrition, spiritual direction, laxity, frequency of confession, confessions of religious and lay people, and even confessions of saints.

The most intriguing element in von Speyr's understanding of confession, fully developed in this volume, is its trinitarian and christological basis. The Cross is the archetypal confession, and Christian sacramental confession is thus an imitation of Christ in the strict sense. Confession examines the enormous fruitfulness of this dogmatic basis from many perspectives, giving a wealth of suggestions that both the theological expert and the layman will find very helpful. Its practical applicability to one's own confession emerges from every page.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621641827
Publisher:	Ignatius Press
Publication date:	03/22/2017
Edition description:	New
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	434,157
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Adrienne von Speyr (1902-1967) was a Swiss medical doctor, convert to Catholicism, a mystic, wife and author of over 60 books on spirituality and theology. She collaborated closely with the renowned theologian Hans Urs Von Balthasar, her confessor for 27 years, and they co-founded the Community of Saint John. Her numerous writings, published by Ignatius Press, are recognized by leading theologians and writers as a major contribution to the mystical and spiritual writings of the Church. Among her most important works are Book of All Saints, Confession, The World of Prayer, Handmaid of the Lord, and The Passion from Within.

Table of Contents

Foreword Father John Riccardo 9

Editor's Foreword 13

1 Introduction: The Search for Confession 15

2 Confession in the Life of the Lord 26

Trinitarian Foundation 26

The Confessional Position of the Son 28

The Incarnation 33

Immaculata, Conception and Birth 35

Childhood 39

Baptism in the Jordan 43

The Temptation 49

His Public Life 52

Desert and Mount of Olives 55

3 The Confession on the Cross 58

Passion 58

Holy Saturday 63

Easter 68

4 The Founding of Confession 72

Its Institution 72

Binding and Loosing 77

Its Prehistory in the Life of the Lord 83

Childhood 83

Entrance into public life 86

The miracles 90

Jesus' preaching 92

The Passion 96

From Easter to Pentecost 98

5 The Church and Confession 100

Bride and Confession 100

Confession within the Framework of the Sacraments 105

Original Sin-Confession-Church 111

6 The Penitent 115

False Extremes 115

The Proper Relationship to Confession 122

Belief in the Efficacy of Confession 128

7 Types of Confession 131

The Confession of Conversion 131

General Confession 136

The Devotional Confession 144

The Confession of Priests 147

The Confession of Religious 155

The confession of contemplatives 159

The confession of active religious 161

The Confession of Married Persons 163

8 The Act of Confession 166

The Legacy of the Lord 166

Preparation 172

Contrition 183

Resolution 192

Confession 197

Exhortation 205

Absolution 211

The Performance of Penance 215

9 Living From the Grace of Confession 221

The New Man 221

Confession and Daily Life 227

Confession and Mission 233

Confession and Prayer 237

10 The Office of Confessor 241

Preparation 241

Hearing Confession 248

The Exhortation 262

Spiritual Direction 266

The Prayers of Confession 270

After Confession 281

Bound Sin 284

The Seal of Confession 286

11 The Confession of the Saints 290

Francis 291

Little Thérèse 293

Aloysius 294

The Mother of God 295