Confirmation Sub-theme 9: Public Rite of Faith Affirmation

The 9th and last confirmation sub-theme found in our research was a PUBLIC RITE OF FAITH AFFIRMATION! “No matter the format, the expectation was clear: young people being presented for confirmation should have a language of faith and be able to articulate and claim their beliefs, even to the extent that they have questions about particular doctrine.” See the graphic for more details.

Portrait: The Diocese of California and St. James Episcopal Church, Oakland, CA

The Episcopal Diocese of California and St. James Episcopal Church provides for a PUBLIC RITE OF FAITH AFFIRMATION, as in our 9th confirmation sub-theme. Our researcher who visited them writes that confirmation “is an opportunity for confirmands to make a public affirmation of their mature and present faith, and in the particular case of youth confirmations it is experienced as a rite of passage forward into the adult Christian community.” It is interesting to note St. James’s position at the intersection of multiple thresholds, seeking to honor diocesan commitments, congregational traditions, and cultural rituals. They honor the confirmation ritual that focuses on the living, and also the cultural ritual of many in their congregation, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. You can read St. James’s portrait at https://goo.gl/JxHYzd.