What is "confessionalism"

Confessionalism \Con*fes"sion*al*ism\, n. (Eccl.) An exaggerated estimate of the importance of giving full assent to any particular formula of the Christian faith.
--Shaff.

n. 1 a belief in the importance of full and unambiguous assent to the whole of a religious teaching. 2 a style of American poetry that drew on the personal history of the poet 3 (''in Lebanon'') a system of government that proportionally distributes political and institutional power among religious and ethnic communities.

Confessionalism may refer to:

• Confessionalism (poetry)
• Confessionalism (religion)
• Confessionalism (politics)

Confessionalism, in a religious (and particularly Christian) sense, is a belief in the importance of full and unambiguous assent to the whole of a religious teaching. Confessionalists believe that differing interpretations or understandings, especially those in direct opposition to a held teaching, cannot be accommodated within a church communion.

Confessionalism can become a matter of practical relevance in fields such as Christian education and Christian politics. For example, there is a question over whether Christian schools should attempt to enforce a specific religious doctrine, or whether they should simply teach general "Christian values". Similarly, some Christian political parties have been split over whether non-Christians should be allowed to participate — confessionalists, arguing against it, stress the importance of religious doctrine, while non-confessionalists say that shared values are more important than adherence to exact beliefs.

Confessionalism ( muḥāṣaṣah ṭā’ifīyah) is a system of government that refers to de jure mix of religion and politics. It typically entails distributing political and institutional power proportionally among confessional communities.