Confirmation in the Lutheran Church Concordia Heritage Series

by Arthur C. Repp

This volume remains the most definitive study and discussion of the rite of confirmation in the Lutheran Church. In recent years there has been a renewed interest in offering Holy Communion to children at an earlier age, as was the practice in the Lutheran Church up to the time when Pietism and then Rationalism elevated the rite of Confirmation to a near-sacramental nature. This volume was commissioned by The Missouri Synod's Board of Parish Education and addressed the concerns then that remain how best to offer formal instruction in the faith to the church's young people in such a manner that it helps them grow in the grace of their Lord Jesus Christ and into Christian maturity.

274 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1964

Reviews

[Josef Muench · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read for anyone interested in “how we got here” with confirmation in an American Lutheran setting. A lot has happened since this was published in the mid-20th century, but it’s still a valuable resource for historical study. Well-researched with an extensive bibliography and good attention to primary sources. Very short on pre-Reformation theology and practice, but that’s okay since it’s not the purpose of the book.

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valuable discussion of the history of catechesis and "Confirmation" in the theology and practice of the Lutheran Church from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Comprehensive and thorough in its consideration, clearly and carefully presented.