Tunnustuksellinen

Tunnustuksellinen is a Finnish adjective describing something that is based on, or related to, a confession of faith. In ecclesiastical and theological contexts it refers to churches, denominations, doctrines, or practices that explicitly subscribe to a specific written confession or creed as a guide for belief and teaching. The term emphasizes doctrinal agreement with a defined set of confessional statements, such as historic creeds or standardized confessions adopted by a church.

Etymology and form: the word derives from tunnustus, meaning confession or acknowledgment, with the suffix -ellinen forming an adjective. The noun form tunnustuksellisuus denotes the quality of being confessional, i.e., having a confessional character.

Usage and scope: tunnustuksellinen is commonly used in church history, theology, and related discourse to distinguish confessional traditions from more flexible or non-confessional approaches. It is often applied to describe a church or movement that identifies with a particular confession and structures its doctrine, catechesis, and governance around that confession. The term may appear in academic writing, ecclesiastical documents, and discussions of denominational identity.

Related concepts: related terms include confessional church, confessionalism, and creed-based doctrine. In Finnish, the wording often centers on the explicit adoption of a creed or confession as authoritative for faith and practice, setting confessional communities apart from non-confessional or liberal theological positions.

See also: confessional church, creed, confessionalism, creed-based doctrine, Lutheran or Reformed confessions (as contextual examples in broader discussions).