page_title: Penance
section_title: Penance in art and fiction
hierarchical_section_title: Penance / Penance in art and fiction
caption_attribution_description: English: Woodcut for "Die Bibel in Bildern", 1860. Deutsch: Holzschnitt aus "Die Bibel in Bildern", 1860. Français&#160;: Gravure en bois pour «Die Bibel in Bildern», 1860.
context_page_description: Penance is repentance of sins as well as an alternate name for the Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. It also plays a part in confession among Anglicans and Methodists, in which it is a rite, as well as among other Protestants. The word penance derives from Old French and Latin paenitentia, both of which derive from the same root meaning repentance, the desire to be forgiven. Penance and repentance, similar in their derivation and original sense, have come to symbolize conflicting views of the essence of repentance, arising from the controversy as to the respective merits of "faith" and "good works". Word derivations occur in many languages.
  According to dictionary definitions, the primary meaning of penance is the deeds done out of penitence, which also focuses more on the external actions than does repentance which refers to the true, interior sorrow for one's hurtful words or actions. Only repentance implies a purpose of amendment which means the resolve to avoid such hurtful behavior in the future.
context_section_description: Art:
  A Procession of Flagellants (1812-1819)
  Films:
  Penance (film) (2009)
  Sadhna (1958) aka The Penance
  The Bell of Penance (1912)
  A Daughter of Penance (1916)
  Proper Penance (1992) (V)
  The Mission (1986)
caption: David is depicted giving a penitential psalm in this 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld
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