Theological Glossary
Six Christian traditions define Indulgence below — each in its own words, paraphrased from its official documents. These are attributed positions, not assertions of fact.
The Catholic Church teaches that an indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, granted by the Church from the treasury of Christ's and the saints' merits. It holds that indulgences may be gained for oneself or applied to the departed, always in connection with repentance and charity.
Source: CCC 1471–1479 ↗
The Orthodox Church has no doctrine of indulgences; it teaches that forgiveness and healing come through repentance, prayer, and the mysteries, not through the remission of quantified temporal punishment. It holds that God's mercy is not dispensed from a treasury of merits.
Source: The Orthodox Faith, Vol. II ↗
Lutherans reject indulgences as unscriptural, teaching that the forgiveness of sins and the remission of punishment come freely through faith in Christ, not through the Church's grants. The protest against the abuse of indulgences stood at the very origin of the Reformation.
Source: Smalcald Articles, II.2 ↗
The Reformed tradition rejects indulgences, teaching that Christ's satisfaction fully removes both the guilt and the eternal punishment of sin for believers. It holds that no church authority can remit temporal punishments or dispense merits, and that repentance needs no such supplement.
Source: Westminster Confession 11.3; Heidelberg Catechism Q. 30 ↗
Baptists reject indulgences, teaching that Christ's death fully paid for sin and that forgiveness is received freely through faith. They hold that no church can grant remission of punishment, and that true repentance requires no ecclesiastical supplement — the Baptist inference from their doctrine of salvation (BFM 2000, Art. IV).
Source: Baptist inference — no BFM article on indulgences; cf. Art. IV (salvation) ↗
Methodists reject indulgences: the Articles of Religion teach justification by faith alone, from which Methodists hold that pardon and peace come through repentance and faith in Christ alone. They hold that God’s forgiveness is complete and free, needing no grant of remission from church authority.
Source: Articles of Religion, Art. XIV (rejecting "pardon"); Art. IX ↗
See how the traditions compare on related topics: