Understanding spiritual confession: A review and theoretical synthesis

Abstract

Spiritual confession has a prominent role in the practices of many religious and spiritual traditions. This paper proposes a definition of spiritual confession and reviews confession practices in Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Native American, and 12-step traditions. Psychological research on confession and disclosure processes is reviewed, and functions of confession are identified, based on prior empirical and theoretical work. Identified functions include: reducing guilt and shame, seeking social connection, seeking meaning and coherence, impression management, and spiritual functions. Finally, experimental studies focused on spiritual confession are reviewed, and specific suggestions for future research are proposed.