Penance

=== Penance as a religious attitude ===
[[File:RepentanceisContrition&faith.jpg|thumb|A 17th-century depiction of one of the 28 articles of the ''[[Augsburg Confession]]'' by [[Wenceslas Hollar]], which divides repentance into two parts: "One is contrition, that is, terrors smiting the conscience through the [[Law and Gospel#Book of Concord|knowledge of sin]]; the other is faith, which is born of the Gospel, or of [[Absolution#Lutheran Churches|absolution]], and believes that for Christ's sake, sins are forgiven, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terrors."<ref name=AC>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.php#article12 |title=Augsburg Confession, Article XII: Of Repentance |publisher=Bookofconcord.org |access-date=2012-09-20}}</ref>]]

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[[Reformation|Protestant Reformers]], upholding the doctrine of [[Sola fide|justification by faith alone]], held that repentance consisted in a change of the whole moral attitude of the mind and soul (Matthew 13:15; Luke 22:32), and that the divine forgiveness preceded true repentance and confession to God without any reparation of "works".<ref name="EB1911">{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Penance|volume=21|page=84}}</ref> In his ''Of Justification By Faith'', Calvin says: "without forgiveness no man is pleasing to God." Nonetheless, in traditions formed by a [[Calvinist]] or [[Zwinglian]] sensibility, there has traditionally been a stress on reconciliation as a precondition to fellowship.

[[File:Paris psaulter gr139 fol136v.jpg|thumb|left|The reproach of [[Nathan (prophet)|Nathan]] and the penance of [[King David]] ([[Paris Psalter]], folio 136v, 10th century).]]
Typically in the non-Protestant view, the attitude of penance or repentance can be externalized in acts that a believer imposes on themselves, acts that are called penances. Penitential activity is particularly common during the season of [[Lent]] and [[Holy Week]]. In some cultural traditions, this week, which commemorates the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion]] of Christ, may be marked by penances that include [[flagellantism]] or even voluntary pseudo-[[crucifixion]]. [[Advent]] is another season during which, to a lesser extent, penances are performed. Acts of self-discipline are used as tokens of repentance. Easier acts of self-discipline include devoting time to prayer or reading of the Bible or other spiritual books. Examples of harder acts of self-discipline are [[fasting]], continence, abstaining from alcohol or tobacco, or other privations. Self-flagellation and the wearing of a [[cilice]] are more rarely used. Such acts have sometimes been called [[mortification of the flesh]], a phrase inspired by {{bibleverse||Romans|8:13|ESV}}: "If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

Such acts are associated also with the [[Sacrament of Penance]]. In the New Testament, there is no codified ritual described for reconciliation except with God through baptism. Confession of sins to one another for the sake of healing is mentioned in the [[Epistle of James]]. With the delay of the expected [[Second Coming#Early Christianity|Second Coming]], there was a recognized need for a means of accepting back into the Christian community those who had been expelled for serious sins. In [[early Christianity]], bishops declared that God had forgiven sins when it was clear that there was repentance, and the penitent was readmitted to the community.<ref name=Martos>{{ Citation | last =Martos  | first =Joseph | date = 2014 | title =Doors to the Sacred  | publisher =Ligouri  |  pages =321–27}}</ref> Today the act of penance or satisfaction imposed in connection with the sacrament for the same therapeutic purpose can consist of set prayers or a certain number of prostrations or an act or omission intended to [[reinforcement|reinforce]] what is positive in the penitent's behaviour or to inhibit what is negative. The act imposed is itself called a penance or ''epitemia''.