Relating to or characteristic of confessionalism, especially the emphasis on formal doctrinal statements and creeds in Protestant theology.
From confessional + -ian (Latin suffix meaning 'of or relating to'). The -ian suffix is used with nouns to create adjectives, as in 'Napoleonian' or 'Wilsonian,' describing adherence to a doctrine.
Confessionalian theology emphasizes the written confessions of faith—like the Lutheran Augsburg Confession—as opposed to relying on Scripture alone, which is why Protestant denominations formed around different confessions like different teams around their rule books.
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