Topic > Confirmation as a rite of passage within the Christian church

IndexIntroductionBodyConclusionBibliographyIntroductionIn this essay, the topic of confirmation within the Christian church will be discussed as a rite of passage. Confirmation is a religious rite practiced by Christians in which a baptized person can confirm the promises made on his behalf during his baptism as a child. It is also a sign of full belonging and commitment to the Christian community and receives the Holy Spirit within itself. This religious ritual usually occurs from age 17 onwards. This religious rite of passage is usually followed by Holy Communion. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay BodyThe transition from a particular phase of my life was from going to church because my parents are Christians to deciding to accept Christianity as a way of life for myself. The first phase of this rite of passage was the rite of separation and isolation from my parents and society; as we went to the confirmation camp in preparation for the ritual process. This was also done to allow for a closer connection with God and the Holy Spirit and to not be influenced by the thoughts of others in making the decision to take part in this ritual process. This isolation can be compared to the isolation of African girls undergoing virginity testing, as they are also isolation from family and society as a whole before taking part in a ritual process. This confirmation camp is carried out to assess each individual's readiness to take on the responsibility of becoming a practicing Christian, it is also involved in special classes where we are taught the responsibilities of a Christian. Questions and answers, essential to the ceremony, have been discussed in these lessons to ensure preparation for the ritual process. The transition from changing my status to becoming a practicing Christian is known as liminal, which took place on the day of the ceremony. The wait before the ritual can be compared to the migrant queue in internal affairs, a sense of vulnerability was experienced as waiting in front of many people watching you answer questions can cause a sense of vulnerability. During this stage we are not yet seen as independent as our parents join us after answering the series of questions. The questions were asked in preparation for becoming a member of the Christian community. A sense of communitas was experienced as during this ritual process, other members were treated equally regardless of our different backgrounds. The other 5 girls who took part in this ritual with me came from very different backgrounds and had faced many challenges to be able to take part in this ritual. Each of us was undifferentiated from society and supervised by the priest who led the ritual. The sense of communitas had helped each of us by being together and making us feel less vulnerable during this phase of liminality to reach the rite of reincorporation. Many symbols were present throughout the entire ritual process, we had the opportunity to reflect on our baptism by touching the Holy Water. The candles were lit to symbolize the light of God and the Holy Spirit who is always with us. The priest then drew crosses on our foreheads with olive oil, the crosses symbolized the cross of Jesus when he was crucified for our sins, and the use of olive oil was to symbolize peace and reconciliation; she can also be identified with the dove returning with an olive branch. The whole ritual process is187-203.