Youth and confirmation training in Europe
Kati Niemelä, Church Research Institute
In many European countries confirmation training still marks an important step in life as a rite-de-passage. It is one of the most successful church activities (concerning participation) and is one of the major factors influencing young people’s attachment to the church and its faith. For many young people church confirmation training is a turning point – at least for a short time.
The framework of confirmation work differs markedly in European countries, but in many of them it is one of the biggest non-formal education settings. The influences of confirmation training are not limited to church life, but the training system has multifaceted influences on young people’s social life and youth culture.
The session presents up-to-date research on youth and confirmation training in Europe. An international comparison of seven European countries serves as a basis of the session, but also other papers on youth and their relation to confirmation training, church and faith in general from various aspects are warmly welcome.