Once a defining feature of Christian life, the practce of confession has largely faded in recent years. And yet, without an acknowledgment of sin and the longing for forgiveness and reconciliation, the Gospel makes little sense. Here Jim Forest offers a moving reappraisal of this art of confession, drawing on scripture, the lives of the saints, and a wealth of personal stories. From St. Augustine and St. Paul, to Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and Dostoevsky, Forest shows how the practice of confession draws us deeper into loving relationship with God, the body of Christ, and our fellow sinners.