In its formulation, the Christian doctrine of conciliation, which, as St. Paul contended, required a change of status in the penitent, had to be made sacramentally effective in the individual and in redeemed humanity as a whole. In the Gospel According to Matthew (16:13–20,…

…possible for a sinner to repent (tawbah) and redeem himself by a genuine conversion to the truth. There is no point of no return, and God is forever merciful and always willing and ready to pardon. Genuine repentance has the effect of removing all sins and restoring a person to…

The path (ṭarīqah) begins with repentance. A mystical guide (shaykh orpīr) accepts the seeker as disciple (murīd), orders him to follow strict ascetic practices, and suggests certain formulas for meditation. It is said that the disciple should be in the hands of the master “like a corpse in the…

…this in various ways, includingrepentance, payment for a wrong action, good works, suffering, and prayer.Repentance and changed conduct are usually stressed as the most important aspects of atonement. The 10 “days of awe,” culminating in the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), are centred onrepentance.

…had more to say aboutrepentance than any other prophet. He called upon men to turn away from their wicked ways and dependence upon idols and false gods and return to their early covenantal loyalty to Yahweh.Repentance thus had a strong ethical colouring, since it meant living in obedience…

…of sin and punishment byrepentance. Althoughrepentance may be accompanied by formal and ceremonial acts, such as fasting, its basic principle is the renunciation of the sin and the wholehearted decision not to repeat it. When a man transgresses against God, his sin is forgiven byrepentance alone, but,…

…that he called them to repent, but neither Matthew 9:13 nor Mark 2:17 mentions the wordrepentance. Most likely, Jesus’ message was more radical than a simple call for repentance, a proposition with which everyone would have agreed. He wanted sinners to accept him and his message, and he promised…

…and produce appropriate fruits ofrepentance.