Confession and Absolution

Thomas John CapelProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 72K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Confession and Absolution by T. J. CapelAuthor: Capel, T. J. (Thomas John), 1836-1911,Language: English, Class: BX: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Churches, Church movements, Release Date: Apr 27, 2006

Editor's review

Confession and Absolution is a topical treatise on the Christian rite of confession and the doctrine of absolution. Writing from the perspective of a clergyman, Cappel sets out the nature, procedure, and theological basis of confession, and discusses the place of absolution in the life of faith. The value of such a work lies in showing how ecclesial practice and doctrine were connected within a particular historical context; it is useful to readers studying the history of Christian liturgy, church institutions, or religious ethics. The argument relies heavily on doctrinal exposition and citation of tradition, and the language is formal; it is suited to specialized study rather than general reading. Some background in Christian theology is needed, or the terminology and doctrinal premises will be hard to follow. For the ordinary reader it is less a devotional guide than a window onto internal church debates in the nineteenth century. Read it with specific questions in mind—for example, how the institution of confession is argued for, and how the idea of absolution is tied to church authority—and a specialized treatise of this kind will yield more useful information.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars or students of Christian liturgy, church institutions, and the history of doctrine
Religious studies researchers with a specific interest in confession and absolution
Readers seeking nineteenth-century church theological texts as historical sources

Not a good fit for

General readers without theological grounding who want an introductory overview
Readers looking for personal devotional guidance or spiritual comfort
Beginners hoping for a quick survey of Christianity as a whole

Reading tips

Start with the basic concepts of confession and church tradition before the main text, to lower the barrier to understanding
Read with specific questions, such as the basis of absolution and its relation to church authority, taking thematic notes as you go
Read alongside works on liturgical or church history, placing the book in its historical context
The original is in English and full of terminology; consult a theological dictionary for key concepts

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for ordinary believers?

The book emphasizes doctrinal exposition and citation of tradition, and its argument is technical; it is not a devotional work for ordinary believers. Believers with some grounding in church doctrine can use it as a reference for understanding the theological background of confession; those seeking guidance for the practice of faith may find it academic and remote from daily experience.

What does the book mainly discuss?

It deals with confession and absolution: the nature and necessity of confession, the doctrinal basis of absolution, the role of the church, and the theological explanation of the related liturgical practice. The author writes from a clerical standpoint, focusing on doctrine and tradition rather than cases or practical instructions; it is a specialized discussion in church theology.

What background knowledge is needed before reading?

It helps to have a basic grasp of Christian doctrine, the order of the confession rite, and church tradition, and to understand core concepts such as original sin, redemption, and church authority. Without this background, the many terms and citations will be hard to follow. Reading a concise introduction to Christian theology or liturgical history first will make the book much easier.

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About the author

Thomas John Capel Author · British · 1836–1911

Thomas John Capel (1836–1911) was an English Catholic priest and apologetic writer who was mainly active in London. Public information about his life is limited, and what is known centres chiefly on his priestly identity and his writing career. One work by him is held in this collection, Confession and Absolution, whose title indicates that it deals with the Catholic sacrament of confession and the question of absolution, and that it belongs to the genre of apologetic and doctrinal exposition. Works of this kind were usually addressed to Catholic readers and to those who had doubts about Catholic teaching, aiming to explain the faith and respond to objections. Capel's style is therefore likely to have been argumentative and expository, concerned with setting out doctrinal grounds rather than with literary elaboration. His writings occupy a modest place among English Catholic apologetic literature of the period and may serve as a reference for the study of nineteenth-century English Catholic thought and apologetic writing.