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The Sinner's Prayer is an evangelical term referring to any prayer of repentance, prayed by individuals who feel convicted of the presence of sin in their lives and have the desire to form or renew a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is a popular phenomenon in Protestant circles, and has been called "a hallmark of evangelical conversionism".〔Olsen, Ted. "Southern Baptists Debate the Sinner's Prayer". ''Christianity Today''. () 18 Mar 2013〕 It is not intended as liturgical like a creed or a confiteor. It is intended to be an act of ''initial'' conversion to Christianity, and the only way to receive salvation according to some Protestants. It also may be prayed as an act of "re-commitment" for those who are already believers in the faith. Often, at the end of a worship service, a minister or other worship leader will invite those desiring to receive Christ (thus becoming Christians) to repeat with him or her the words of some form of a sinner's prayer. It also is frequently found on printed gospel tracts, urging people to "repeat these words from the bottom of your heart".〔Howard, Robert Glenn. "A Theory of Vernacular Rhetoric: The Case of the 'Sinner's Prayer' Online". ''Folklore'' 116.2 (2005): 175-91〕 The "Sinner’s Prayer" takes various forms, all of which have the same general thrust.〔Jackson, Wayne. "The "Sinner’s Prayer"—Is It Biblical?" () 18 Mar 2013〕 Since it is considered a matter of one's personal will, it can be prayed silently, aloud, read from a suggested model, or repeated after someone modeling the prayer role. There is no formula of specific words considered essential, although it usually contains an admission of sin and a petition asking that Jesus enter into the person's heart (that is to say, the center of their life). The use of the sinner's prayer is common within many Protestant churches such as Baptists, Methodists, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics. It is sometimes uttered by Christians seeking redemption or reaffirming their faith in Christ during a crisis or disaster, when death may be imminent. It is not used by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox, Lutherans, Churches of Christ or the International Churches of Christ.〔http://www.icochotnews.com/?q=node/2207〕 The "Sinner’s Prayer" is not without its critics. Because no such prayer or conversion is found in the bible, some biblical scholars have even labeled the sinner's prayer a "cataract of nonsense" and an "apostasy". David Platt has raised questions over the authenticity of the conversions of people using the sinner's prayer based on research by George Barna.〔"Barna Study of Religious Change Since 1991 Shows Significant Changes by Faith Group". () Accessed 3 May 2013〕 == Origins == The Sinner's Prayer, as popularly known today, has roots in Protestant Christianity. Some affirm that it evolved, in some form or another, during the early days of the Protestant Reformation, as a reaction against the Roman Catholic dogma of justification by means of meritorious works.〔Jackson, Wayne. "The 'Sinner’s Prayer' — Is It Biblical?" ''Christian Courier''. () Accessed 2 May 2013〕 Others believe it originated as late as the eighteenth century revival movement.〔 However, Paul Harrison Chitwood, in his doctoral dissertation on the history of the Sinner's Prayer, provides strong evidence that the Sinner's Prayer originated in the early twentieth century.〔(''The Sinner's Prayer: A Historical and Theological Analysis'', Paul Harrison Chitwood. (Ph. D. Diss, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2001) )〕 Evangelists such as Billy Graham and evangelistic organizations such as Campus Crusade for Christ brought the concept to prominence in the 20th century. Televangelists often ask viewers to pray a Sinner's Prayer with them, one phrase at a time, to become a Christian. Quite commonly, such a prayer appears at the conclusion of a tract and is recited in a religious service or other public service as an invitation for congregants to affirm their faith, sometimes as part of an altar call. It is said to happen many times every day around the world—in one-to-one conversations between friends, relatives, and even strangers; in pastors' offices; via email; in online chat rooms; in addition to both small and large worship services.〔Miano, Tony. "Why The Sinner's Prayer Is Unbiblical". Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM). () 18 Mar 2013〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sinner's prayer」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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