Confirmation History
A brief history of confirmation
In recent years, “confirmation” in the Lutheran Church has been reconsidered because it has grown to be something that it was never intended to be. The many “traditions” of Lutheran confirmation such as gowns, flowers, parties, and questioning before elders all emerged in the last two hundred years or so. Confirmation became the “rite of passage” for Lutheran fourteen year-olds. It was the most important moment of their young faith life with the emphasis placed on their confirmation vow. Sadly, a “graduation” mentality arose and many newly confirmed members drifted away soon after their vows because they believed they had “completed” their instruction. As a result, Lutheran churches most recently have been trying new and varied approaches to better teach children about Jesus.
This is not to say there was no merit in Lutheran confirmation all those years. Indeed, many children, including our own members, were taught the faith in Jesus in their confirmation instruction. However, with every church practice or tradition there comes a time for reconsideration and possible renewal.
In his understanding of “confirmation” Martin Luther placed the emphasis on the catechesis, that is, the teaching of the faith, in order to prepare children for coming to the Sacrament of the Altar. He was interested in discipling the children. This is the intent of his Small Catechism.
Confirmation
Confirmation is a lifelong process of maturing in the Christian faith. This process begins at baptism and continues until a person is called to be with God in heaven. Confirmation includes a public ceremony in which baptized youth receive a blessing and publicly affirm the vows made at their baptism.
The Purpose of confirmation is to help confirmands:
†Personally confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and take personal ownership in declaring, by the power of the Holy Spirit, their own allegiance to Christ;
†Eagerly explore the awesomeness of God and the mysteries of faith;
†Identify themselves as members, as a unique and special part of the body of Christ, as Lutheran and members of a local congregation.
†Regularly participate in public worship and the reception of holy communion, engage in personal and group Bible study and its application to life, strive to lead God-pleasing lives and offer services to God by serving others;
†Celebrate the relationships that they have with God as their personal God who loves them graciously, their pastor and other confirmation staff people, their peers participating in the confirmation process, their family and other members of their congregation.
The Attainment of Knowledge
While growing in knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the application of their truth are lifelong tasks, the church can, during the confirmation years, help its young people:
†Solidify their understanding of the biblical narrative and its themes of salvation by grace through faith, the calling of the people of God, the life of Christ and the culmination of history in the end times;
†Attain a basic knowledge of the Six Chief Parts of Luther's Small Catechism;
†Become grounded in Scriptural teaching though the memorization of key biblical texts, Luther's Small Catechism, hymns and prayers; and
†Grow in knowledge of the unique history of the Lutheran reformation and of the Lutheran Church in North America.
The Acquisition of Skills
Our Lord commands obedience to his will by all of the faithful. The church in its catechesis of young people can teach basic skills of discipleship and spiritual discipline. These skills include the beginnings of competence in such areas as:
BIBLE STUDY: learning to read God's Word for understanding in a personal devotional life and in group study with other Christians;
PRAYER: learning to pray for the needs of others, for personal needs and for the mission of the church;
WORSHIP: learning how God blesses his people through the divine worship service and how they can express praise and thanks to the Lord through a variety of worship forms, including the historic liturgy of the church, learning to make profession of faith with fellow believers, to listen to the exposition of God's Word and to comprehend and apply it to daily living;
WITNESS: learning to express the Gospel of Christ in a winsome and meaningful way and to share what God in Christ has done for them;
SERVICE: learning to recognize the needs and hurts of those in the world around them and to be a part of helping, healing service,
COMMUNITY: learning to relate to other Christians as students, friends, caregivers and teachers.
FAMILY LIVING: learning to be a representative of Christ in the roles of youth, sibling and possible future spouse; and
LEADERSHIP: learning to use their God-given gifts and abilities in a manner that strengthens the mission outreach of the church.
The Development of Attitudes
During the developmental years of adolescence, attitudes are shaped that greatly influence a young Christian's life in the church for years to come. Through the proclamation of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit creates faith that results in a love for God and neighbor. The church, through its Spirit-led Word and Sacrament catechesis, can assist in the development of the attitudes that maturing disciples of Jesus Christ will carry with them throughout their lives. These attitudes include:
†A vision for the church as the Lord's chosen bearer of the message of salvation in Jesus Christ;
†Respect for the pastoral office and for their own pastor(s);
†Respect for parents and other family members, also for the members of the whole family of God;
†Concern for those who are lost in their sins without the knowledge of the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ;
†Compassion for the needy and hurting;
†A desire for lifelong growth in the Christian faith.
CATECHESIS - All that the church does in the total education process from the baptismal font to the grave. Confirmation is one piece of that process, involving a relationship between a catechist and a catechumen around Holy Scripture and the catechism resulting in faith formation.
CATECHISM - A book containing systematic questions and answers to teach basic doctrines. In Lutheran circles the reference is to Luther's Small or Large Catechism. The task force used the term to refer to Luther's Small Catechism and distinguished it from Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation, also referred to by many as "the blue book" or the
"synodical catechism." The explanations comprise four-fifths of the "blue book."
COMMUNICANT MEMBERSHIP - Those who have been declared eligible to receive the Lord’s Supper. They may or may not have gone through the rite of confirmation. Communicant membership is distinguished from baptized membership or confirmed membership.
CONFIRMAND - A person preparing for confirmation. Also used to refer to those who have just been confirmed.
CONFIRMATION - A rite of the church in which a confirmand publicly affirms or confesses the faith into which he or she was baptized. This rite follows a period of instruction in the basics of the Christian faith.
CONFIRMATION MINISTRY - Youth confirmation ministry is a nurturing, educational and relational ministry of the congregation to help baptized children identify more fully with the Christian community and participate more fully in its mission, celebrated in a public rite.
CONFIRMED MEMBERSHIP - Those who have gone through the rite of confirmation; distinguished from communicant membership and baptized membership.
God in Christ has done for them. St. James Lutheran Church, IN, Pastor David French
Confirmation: An Analysis of Theology and Practice
Note: This was presented as a final analysis concluding a class I took my freshman year entitled, "Confirmation, Theology & Practice". It does not contain sources or references, allusions are made, and such are done in the context of the class in reference to materials we used. Nonetheless, it does contain my thoughts on the topic.
Confirmation's history and practice reveal two millennia of confusion. Confirmation as it was instituted in the apostolic church is dynamically different from it as it resides in Lutheranism today. Over time it evolved from the mere laying on of hands, to a Sacrament, and then it met its abolition by Luther only to be reinstated by Chemnitz. By looking at the history and current confirmation practices one might begin to clarify what role this historic rite of the church plays in the life of a Christian.
A brief history of confirmation will show that it was originally connected to Baptism, in fact the rite was practiced immediately following the rite of Baptism. At its conception the rite involved the laying on of hands and a blessing from the Bishop. Initially in the Roman church Bishops were the only clergy allowed to Baptize, and hence confirmation was easily followed, however with the growing demand of baptisms the Bishop simply could not get around to every parish, and thus priests were permitted to baptize, meanwhile confirmation was delayed until the Bishop could arrive. Thus, the first time confirmation was delayed after Baptism.
The confirmation of the Bishops became demented as the parishioners were encouraged to consider confirmation as a sacrament, almost as if the confirmand received some extra and special boost of the Holy Spirit upon being confirmed, or that their Baptism was somehow incomplete until a proper confirmation by a Bishop.
By Luther's day Confirmation's intent had been completely mutilated, what was historically a blessing of a baptized child became a sacramental act necessary for salvation, hence Luther eliminated the rite altogether from his church.
Even during Luther's day, though, there was a growing practice of catechesis prior to confirmation. This catechesis was required of a Baptized child, and was thus seen as a gateway to a new status in the congregation, an educated status. From this the natural conclusion was for the proper discernment of the Lord's Supper, and thus Confirmation became a gateway into exactly that.
Over time, and especially within Lutheranism six different and distinct strands have evolved. Each strand reflects a totally different perspective on Confirmation, hence the great confusion which currently exists amongst Lutheranism today.
Catechetical is a strand which evolved out of an increase desire for catechesis. Catechetical confirmation focussed solely on the education level of the future confirmand and current catechumen. Catechetical confirmation was not necessarily tied to the Lord's Supper either, rather at times it was distinct form first communion and was used as a demonstration to the Church that the specific catechumen was knowledgeable in the faith, and thus they became a confirmand. Traces of this understanding of Confirmation are best seen in public examinations of catechumens during the rite of Confirmation. In some congregations the catechumens stand up and are asked questions, generally out of the catechism, thus being publicly examined to see that they have sufficient knowledge to be called a confirmand.
Hierarchal confirmation emphasized the confirmand's personal beliefs, and personal declaration of faith. This methodology was seen as the individual was now confessing the faith, whereas previously at their Baptism the congregation had confessed that faith for them, on their behalf. While this view of Confirmation is focussed in certain areas more drastically then others the common place we see it reflected is when the catechumen's confess the Creed in the rite of Confirmation. Some congregations will also use a "What Jesus Means to Me" essay in which the confirmand outlines the basic pillars of their faith.
Certain phrases in our rite flirt with the concept and notion that somehow an extra "boost" of the Holy Spirit is some how received in the rite of Confirmation, and the very name itself implies the completion of something, which is usually deduced as Baptism. These influences come from the Sacramental understanding of Baptism, which as early stated originates in the Roman Catholic church and was a primary concern of Dr. Luther. This trend amongst Lutheranism is diminished in actual theology, its existence seems to be solely based on confusion and is found primarily within laity, and not within pastors.
The Traditional view of the Lord's Supper, and the view which retains itself in most Lutheran Congregations is featured as a gateway into the Lord's Supper, a vessel by which a baptized child of God now becomes a communicant child of God. The differentiation of membership within the Church is confusing and misleading to the say the least, but the idea of being a gateway into the Lord's Supper is widely held none the less. To many the Lord's Supper is seen as something merited by the work attained in the catechetical instruction preceding Confirmation. While this view definitely serves a purpose it is imperative and vitally important to understand that the Lord's Supper can be received, and properly at that, without having gone through the rite of Confirmation. Proper and worthy reception of the Lord's Supper is dependent upon discernment of the body and blood, and not of merit found in a rite.
Pietistic confirmation focuses around a renewal of the individual, which can be found in the Lord's Supper, but might also be found in the personal declaration of one's faith. This one, more then others finds itself influenced from other approaches. The renewal includes a rededication of oneself to the faith which they were baptized in. Unfortunately this approach focuses more on man's work rather then God's continuing work as found in the Lord's Supper or on the work which God did in Baptism.
The Rationalistic confirmation deals with a significant point in one's life, or as a transition from adolescence to adulthood within the church. Often though, the terms "baptized" and "confirmand" are used to distinguish this age transition. While this approach helps pastor's to pinpoint time periods when confirmation occurs, hence why many Pastors utilize eighth grade as the conclusion of a two year confirmation cycle. At times this can be helpful for organizational purposes, hence why it continues to be used in the dominance of Lutheranism, however at the same time it neglects those individuals who may be ready earlier to begin going through catechetical instruction towards confirmations and it also neglects those individuals who are not ready at the designated time and need more time.
With all of the different historical approaches to confirmation within the Church the catechetical would appear to be the one with the lest problems. Attached with the Traditional approach it would serve the church well in both instructing members of the church and bringing them into fellowship around the Lord's very true body and very true blood. The other approaches all bring problems, misconceptions, and erroneous teaching which do not serve the church well in the long run. While one generation may perceive that approach in a beneficial manner, doorways to confusion are still left open and the church would serve itself well by avoiding such doorways.
Using the historical understandings of confirmation and the current role is appears to play within the church one might define Confirmation as the following:
Confirmation is a rite, which belongs to the church, where a person (child, young adult, or adult) makes a public affirmation of the faith to which they were Baptized in.
While this definition is very basic it lays a solid foundation for understanding the other peripherals of the rite of Confirmation. Understanding Confirmation solely as a rite helps to differentiate it from Catechesis which is a cradle to grace process. So the two keys points of confirmation's theology and practice must be defining the rite apart from the instruction, the catechesis.
It is also important to note the use of the word "affirmation" vs. "confirmation". This word is beneficial because it steers away from confusion over what is actually occurring. While actually changing the term for the rite would be confusing and divisive, using the word "affirmation" would be beneficial to those who are trying to comprehend confirmation and its purpose. Confirmation lends itself to perceiving that something is incomplete, that it needs to be finalized which leads us astray into the errant sacramental understanding of confirmation. Thus the term "affirmation" helps to clarify to the listener that nothing is finalized, because everything that needed to be finalized was done so with God's word when attached through the promise to the water in Holy Baptism.
Hence from this it is also notable that this affirmation of faith can be used as a gateway to worthy reception, however it is not necessarily required. What is necessary for confirmation, a public affirmation of the faith should for all intents and purposes give the confirmand the proper knowledge necessary to properly discern, however, the linkage is not mandatory, which is something to respect.
Confirmation undoubtedly belongs to the church, however the ownership the church has on it is not to be conflicted with the ownership the church has on the means of grace, the Word, and the Sacraments. Whereas the Sacraments are owner only in the sense that they have been given from God, the rites of the church, such as Confirmation are owned in the sense that they have been invented by the church for proper instruction and as tools for teaching. These tools then are merely explanatory to the doctrines, or should be at least, which God has confidently given to us, ie. the Word and the Sacraments.
Confirmation should be two fold, in the sense that it is a continuing reminder of Baptism, thus the public affirmation, which is why repeating the Creed of the church becomes so vital in a rite of Confirmation. At the same time the rite of Confirmation should also reflect the means of grace as found in the Lord's Supper, forgiveness in, under, and with the bread and the wine as the Lord's very true body and very true blood. How does Confirmation connect to the Lord's Supper though if there is no direct connection between the rite and entrance into the Lord's Supper. The clearest way to see the connection is that Confirmation is the culmination of a catechetical education, the end point of a faith which has been defined and refined ot a competent level of explanation, and this competent explanation is the product of a Christian's faith being nurtured. Nurturing for a Christian is impossible apart from the Lord's very true body and very true blood, thus catechetical lessons should be designed to point to the Lord's Supper in the same way that they point to Holy Baptism, this is something that feeds you, you need it, your body demands it, and your soul clings to it, do not run from it, but seek it. Thus they shall seek it. If they have not yet had it then they shall seek what they will be given in the future. If they have already had it then they will learn to seek it out at every opportunity to offered, as every Christian should.
The sacramental connections and instruction found therein are clear, but how does the Church fit into the teaching of confirmation? Confirmation is a personal acclamation of a public faith, the affirmation of something the Church confesses. This is not to say that the person is now obtaining membership within the church, for membership only occurs under and by Christ Jesus through His promise, the word, when it is attached to the water in Holy Baptism. Confirmation signifies a point where the confirmand should be knowledgeable enough to understand and explain the articles of the faith that they have been confessing since there Baptism. Thus this affirmation is acknowledgment that one is capable of such explanations.
There are many materials which are used in catechetical instruction leading up to confirmation. The primary, which often times other materials are based off of or around, is Luther's Small Catechism. Luther's Small Catechism is a valuable tool and all Christians would serve themselves well in not only being confirmed based upon comprehension of its chief articles, but also in the daily examination of those articles and reflection on them. Furthermore taking those articles to the next level and going to Luther's Large Catechism would also be beneficial.
Some materials, such as those offered by the Lutheran Church of Australia offer lessons which take scriptural knowledge and systematized doctrine and process them in a way which the child can handle them. This is advantageous because the knowledge is present for the acclamation of such doctrines as found in the creed, however, at the same rate it did not cater to the idea that this knowledge must be used. How does a confirmand take their knowledge in proper discernment of the body and blood of Christ and then actually discern? Or better yet, how does one examine himself, how is proper confession to be understood so that it might occur before receiving the Lord's Supper. The base and core is available, however the application is not. It does not offer an understanding of how these chief articles from Luther's Small Catechism fit into the sanctification and vocation of these Christian's lives.
Another alternative to the materials presented by the Lutheran Church of Australia are materials from the Concordia Catechetical Academy produced by Rev. Peter Bender. These materials offer a much more exhaustive doctrinal presentation of the six chief parts, however, the also offer application from the Divine Liturgy and connections to one's daily lives. The application to the Divine Liturgy allows catechumen's to understand how the doctrine which they are learning are thus reflected through the portions of the liturgy, and furthermore how that doctrine is reflected through the motions, ie. the sign of the cross which occur within the liturgy.
Current materials attempt to implement both the Small Catechism, Scripture, and a level of application. Application, though, is very difficult to find apart from the liturgy and baptismal remembrance, which is the core for so many of the motions made in the liturgy of the Divine Service. What is a catechumen to do? They are to daily remember their Baptism, drowning the old Adam, and resurrecting the new man. The liturgy provides constant reminder of this and vessels for initiating such practices. Other application items are useful to, how does this vocation as a member of the royal priesthood play out in the catechumen's week? This, however, opens up one more tie to the liturgy. The Silent Prayer at the end of the service is designed to be a prayer to take the newness and forgiveness as found in the Lord's Prayer and let it be the guide of one's actions in witnessing the love of Christ, what a wonderful application of vocation from the Catechism!
In surveying both the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and individual congregations it appears that some of my conclusions and generalizations are fitting and accurately describe the increasing trend amongst Lutheranism in the practice of confirmation. It seems to be more and more uniform that confirmation is used as a gateway into the Lord's Supper, a defining point in the catechumen's life as they obtain a new and distinct status within the church. Additionally there seems to be much confusion amongst laity, and at times even pastor, over what the intent and reason behind offering this rite is.
Most congregations within the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are practicing a seventh and eighth grade model for the catechesis involved in preparation for proper reception of the Lord's Supper and in undergoing the rite of confirmation, however, there is also an ever growing trend in moving towards and even younger age. The reasons are not entirely clear, however, there seems to be linkage toward merely offering the Lord's Supper at an earlier age. Unfortunately this divergent practice is becoming divisive, especially as some pastors lean more towards the practice of infant communion. For those pastors who see infant communion as a biblical practice earlier confirmation, and even confirmation immediately after Baptism are viewed as advantageous towards such an agenda.
Many pastors seem to appreciate the idea of exceptions to the rule of seventh and eighth grade. For example, at Trinity Lutheran in West Chicago, a suburb of Chicago, IL. the congregation recently passed a resolution, by request of the pastor, to allow for certain exceptions in individuals who the pastor and board of elders have deemed read to enter into the pre-confirmation catechesis class. This trends turns away from the historic seventh and eighth grade legalistic practice towards more of an individual, when is the person's faith ready practice. It helps move away from a check list of requirements for confirmation toward attempting to answer "Where is this person at?"
Another example of such practices is with Rev. Ralph Tausz of Apostle's Lutheran in Melrose Park. His catechesis appears to be much more individual based, where is that person at and how can they be guided toward worthy reception? He uses the materials provided by Rev. Peter Bender to guide his catechetical instruction, but still determines where that individual is. Pre-confirmation catechesis begins where that person is, and simply said, goes where they need to be taken.
Some materials such as Faith Inkubators do not focus on the educational aspects of catechesis, rather it becomes a personal experience, developing community and friendships. While these lessons are not to be discarded there are more appropriate settings for such intimate relationships to be formed, especially when apart from the Small Catechism. There is definitely a trend with congregations who fail to use the Small Catechism in their catechesis instruction, they simply are not as effective in obtaining a faith which can be articulated with clarity.
What role is the rite of Confirmation to play within an ever changing church? Especially one which is continuously being influenced by the outside world? What confirmation, was, is, and will be is distinctively different from each other and it will only continue to be so. Any changes to the current understanding and practice can only be done alongside proper teaching. The questions must be answered, and one must explain, why is this being done? Current problems also need to be solved and unity around both the understanding and practice needs to be found. This includes practices such as separating communion from confirmation, or even infant communion, they are only divisive. There is also a trend amongst the materials which seem to be the most effective in catechesis. They are clearly more exhaustive in knowledge, and expect more from a student of the faith. These are all important things to remember as the church explores what role confirmation will take in its future.
Return to Writings
Created by: Stan Lemon on August 27, 2005
The Lutheran Logomaniac
Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Pastor, Messiah Lutheran Church, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Confirmation in the Early Church
Posted On: September 07th, 2005 at 11:59 pm
Confirmation in the Lutheran Church
A Historical Survey from the Early Church to the Present
Introductory Questions about confirmation
• What age was confirmation in your church?
• When was it? (Palm Sunday, Easter, Pentecost, 1st Sunday in May, etc.)
• Did you wear gowns?
• Was there an examination? Was it public or private?
• Was First Communion at the same time as confirmation?
I. Some Catechism Foundations
Baptism
Fourth
What does such baptizing with water indicate?
It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?
St. Paul writes in Romans chapter six: "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4).
The Lord’s Supper
Who receives this sacrament worthily?
Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins." But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words "for you" require all hearts to believe.
• So what makes someone worthy to receive the Lord’s Supper?
II. Confirmation in the Early Church
In the Early Church (to the fifth century A.D.) “confirmation” did not exist as we understand it today. Confirmation was actually a part of the rite of Baptism. Generally speaking, adult confirmands would undergo an extensive period of catechesis (typically three years), and then at the Easter Vigil would be baptized. They were then “confirmed” in this baptismal faith by means of chrism (olive oil), prayers, the sign of the cross, and the laying on of hands with the Our Father. Then on Easter morning they would partake of their first Communion. Baptisms were done by the area bishop. Because entire families would undertake this catechesis and baptism, it was also relatively common in this early period for infants to receive their first Communion with their parents.
• What is “catechesis”?
• When is the Easter Vigil?
• So what does “confirm” actually mean?
• Why chrism? What Christian word do you see in the word “chrism”?
• What is a Bishop?
• Why was the bishop the only one who baptized & confirmed?
III. Confirmation in the Middle Ages
A) With the growth of the Church, and especially after the legalization of Christianity in the early fourth century, the practice of infant baptisms became much more common. Because of the rapid growth of the Church, the bishops began to delegate the rite of Baptism to parish priests. In the Eastern churches priests were permitted to confirm also, provided that the chrism had been blessed by the bishop. In the Western churches, however, only the bishop was allowed to confirm. Thus, where the Roman liturgy came into use, it became much more common to make baptism and confirmation separate rites. The idea gradually came into place that confirmation was a complement to baptism. Baptism was where sins were forgiven, and confirmation was where the Holy Spirit was given. Later on this rite came to be considered necessary for salvation.
B) By the 12th century men such as Hugo of St. Victor were calling confirmation the second sacrament. Other medieval theologians followed suit. In November of 1439 at the Council of Florence, confirmation was designated a sacrament through the papal decree Pro Armenis of Eugene IV. It was from that time forward a part of the Roman sacramental system, bestowed grace, was equal in power to the other sacraments, and could only be conferred by a bishop. It was also considered an objective rite which operated ex opere operato, that is, regardless of the faith of the recipient.
• So what motivated the bishops in the West to delegate the rite of Baptism?
• Why did the separation between forgiving sins & the gift of the Holy Spirit take place?
• Why was it considered necessary for salvation?
• What is a sacrament?
• Why did they consider confirmation a sacrament?
• How does this view of sacraments differ from the biblical view?
IV. Confirmation in the Reformation Period
A) The Roman abuses of Confirmation had made Confirmation suspect in the minds of many, particularly Luther himself. Luther at different times called Confirmation: monkey business (Affenspiel), fanciful deception (Lügenstand), and mumbo-jumbo (Gaukelwerk). Luther’s objections to the Roman Rite of Confirmation included:
1) It lacked the command and promise of the Lord.
2) It had no Scriptural basis.
3) The Romanists used Confirmation to deny that the Holy Spirit was given at Baptism, and that the Holy Spirit could only be given through the chrism and laying on of hands.
4) The Romanists argued that confirmation “completed” baptism.
B) The Lutheran Confessions followed a similar lead on confirmation. The Augsburg Confession, for instance, did not include confirmation among the sacraments. We can also find in the Apology to the Augsburg Confession the following:
Confirmation and extreme unction are rites received from the Fathers which even the church does not require as necessary for salvation since they do not have the command of God. Hence it is useful to distinguish these from the earlier ones which have an express command from God and a clear promise of grace. (Apology of the Augsburg Confession XIII, Tappert, p. 211.)
C) Nonetheless, confirmation had a place in the Lutheran Church generally speaking. As early as the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520) Luther thought it “sufficient to regard confirmation as a certain churchly rite or sacramental ceremony, similar to other ceremonies, such as the blessing of water and the like.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 36, p. 92) Luther did not disapprove of pastors examining the faith of children and giving them a blessing, as long as it was not understood that this was completing baptism. It would certainly be fair to say, however, that confirmation did not play a significant role in Luther’s understanding of the reform of the church. He would have been fine if it had been dropped altogether, and it is difficult to find places where Luther specifically encourages its use.
D) There are many different types of confirmation and pre-communion study that became common in the Reformation period. Some followed an intensely catechetical format, where the pastor would examine the confirmands for hours. Others were more sacramental in character, which focused on the blessing given at confirmation. Still others followed the typical Lutheran understanding of Reformation: only change those things which are a hindrance to the Gospel. Thus for some, the attempt was made to retain as much as possible of the Roman Rite, while at the same time emphasizing the catechetical focus and the blessings given in Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar.
General Observations About the Reformation Period
What one sees by and large is an almost complete lack of uniformity in the Lutheran practice of confirmation during this period. If one were to generalize, we would say:
A) Lutherans rejected confirmation as a sacrament
B) It was understood that there must be some form of instruction before confirmation and/or first Communion
C) There was some connection to both Baptism and Communion, although what that connection was varied widely
D) The age of first Communion was significantly earlier than today’s practice. Under German law, it was age 12. Roman canon law placed it somewhere between 7-12. It was very rare to see confirmation older than age 12.
V. Confirmation in the Age of Orthodoxy, Pietism and Rationalism
A) Orthodoxy
The practice of confirmation in Lutheran churches continued to spread, although at a slower pace, partly because of the ravages of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48). At this time a great majority of Lutheran Churches in Germany and Scandinavia continued to prepare children for first Communion through catechetical instruction and without a rite. Public confirmation was retained in some areas during this period, but it was not particularly widespread. We also find private confirmation coming into place during the period in some areas. Because of the impact of the Counter-Reformation, and the tendency of some to have their church membership change on the basis of the political situation, some churches began the practice of requiring a vow to remain faithful to the Lutheran Church. This did not become particularly common until the 18th century, however. There was also a general failing on the part of the church at this time in the catechesis of children. Catechetical sermons fell into disuse, and the reading of the catechism in many places also went by the wayside. The idea of basic instruction in the faith gave way to more sophistical teaching on theology. It is also near the end of this period that the idea of confirmation as a covenant renewal began to come into place.
B) Pietism
We find under Pietism a shift began to take place in confirmation. Under orthodoxy confirmation spread in some areas, and died out on others. With the rise of Pietism under Jacob Philip Spener (1635-1705) we find confirmation coming to the forefront, but with a different purpose. Pietism is the anti-orthodox movement which began in the mid-17th century. It is most commonly known for it’s emphasis on a heart-felt piety, the practice of piety, separation from the unconverted, and the unity of like-minded believers. For men such as Spener, confirmation thus served several purposes:
1) To demonstrate that the confirmand was truly converted.
2) The rise of an individual memory verse for each confirmand, to emphasize the individualistic character of the faith.
3) To renew the baptismal covenant. This was often done by a vow and a confession of faith. Because of the subjective nature of pietism, Spener wanted to have the confirmands to give a personal testimony of their faith. Because of the low education level of many of the children, this was often simply done by the cultured class, and the common children would simply use the Creed.
4) Because of the desire for an individual testimony and vow, and a deemphasis on memorization, many Pietists began to urge that only those who could read should be confirmed.
The results of Pietism upon the rite of Confirmation can be summarized as follows:
1) Confirmation’s subjective element became its chief characteristic. This was foreign to the vast majority of early Lutheran models of confirmation.
2) Children were now asked to renew their baptismal covenant. Individual confessions and personal vows were encouraged.
3) The catechumen was expected to examine himself on whether or not he was truly a Christian, and whether or not he could “discern” the body and blood of the Lord. This resulted in the age for catechumens to go up. The age under Pietism, thus, became 14-16 years old.
C) Rationalism
Rationalism is the movement which tried to make everything in Christianity conform to reason and natural revelation. Rationalism, therefore, deemphasized the supernatural, miracles, and were generally anti-sacramental. We find in rationalism an attempt to separate connection with the Church (baptism) and connection to a local fellowship (confirmation). Because the examinations often became so long at this time, the practice of separating the examination from the rite of confirmation came into place. When the pastor confirmed the catechumen, he would then give him a bible verse, hymn verse or some other folk saying to encourage them. Baptism under rationalism became not a Church event, but a family event like a marriage. Confirmation also became associated with civic duty, economic privileges, and the “coming of age” of the catechumen.
VI. Confirmation Comes to the United States
With the Lutheran immigrants coming to the United States in the 19th century, this hodge-podge of rites, practices, and theories behind confirmation all came over on the boats. In the 19th century there was a revival of confessional Lutheranism which went contrary to both Pietism and rationalism. We can see in men such as Claus Harms, for example, that there was an attempt to regulate confirmation and make it more orthodox.
We can thus find in the Missouri Synod elements of all of these periods of church history in what we now consider to be the standard Lutheran rite of confirmation.
Questions for Consideration
• How does our practice serve the Law?
• How does it serve the Gospel?
• What should be the determining factor in deciding at what age to confirm?
• Should confirmation and first communion be connected? Why or why not?
Pastor Todd Peperkorn
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
For further study:
Repp, Arthur. Confirmation in the Lutheran Church. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1964.
Edited on: September 08th, 2005 12:01 am
Comments:
Re: Confirmation in the Early Church
Posted On: September 09th, 2005 at 3:30 pm by bonnie
Rev. Peperkorn!!!
Blessings from an old friend! I googled your name to seek advice about curriculum for teaching confirmation class--and that brought me here!
Is the Advanced Bible History still published? What would you recommend as confirmation must-haves? (Bruce and I begin teaching on Sept. 18!) Thank you in advance!
My deepest condolences regarding the loss of your precious mother. She was a dear friend and a wonderful influence upon me. What a rich comfort to know that Heaven is her perfect home now!
Kindly greet your family for me. What a joy to learn of your new family and many true successes! How I enjoyed the photos!!
God's Peace!
Re: Confirmation in the Early Church
Posted On: September 12th, 2005 at 11:48 am by Pr. Jeffery Warner
I was just talking about the history of confirmation in the Lutheran church with a young man a little while back and fired off an email link to your entry here this morning. Thanks for putting together this helpful resource! As ever, well done!
--Pr. Jeffery Warner
MAL, Omaha Tribe
Zion, Bancroft, NE
Re: Confirmation in the Early Church
Posted On: October 13th, 2006 at 7:49 am by Anna
Hi,
I found this very helpful as I have been researching confirmation practices. A question for you; What is your feeling about attaching Merit points to youth in confirmation and those with enough points confirming with honors?
I would really appreciate your views on this.
Thank you,
Anna
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