Walther, 1906. Chapter 27, “The Institution of Confirmation”

Chapter 27, “The Institution of Confirmation” (pp. 184-187)

Walther views confirmation as a blessing which should be preserved or reintroduced. In early times children and adults were confirmed after baptism. They received an anointing with oil and a laying on of the bishop’s hands. Through history it became separated from baptism, finally becoming a sacrament in the Roman church. In the Lutheran usage it is a time before first communion when young people can publicly affirm their faith. The rite has sometimes been more prominent than at other times. Walther endorses it as a good and profitable activity.