4B: Eucharist Flashcards
What is eucharist also known as?
Holy communion, mass, Lords supper
What happened in the last supper?
Jesus shared a meal with his disciples. took bread and wine: bread is Jesus’ body. wine is Jesus’ blood
1 Corinthians 11:27: “for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim…
the lord’s death until he comes”
What do Christians do to remember Jesus?
drink wine and eat bread
What do Christians believe the wine and bread symbolise?
Christ’s body and blood, some even believe it becomes his body and blood (transubstantiation)
What is eucharist?
- the physical reenactment of jesus’ last supper with his disciples
- a meal which has the real presence of Jesus
- a symbolic reminder of god’s love for humankind
- a memorial of Jesus’ last hours on earth
- a fellowship or communion of christian’s and between them and god
- a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and of the Christians life with him
What is transubstantiation?
the bread and wine change into the actual body and blood of Jesus when consecrated by an ordained Priest
Quote about transubstantiation from the Fourth Lateran Council
“his body and blood are truly contained in the sacrament… the bread and wine having been transubstantiated, by god’s power, into his body and blood”
What term for transubstantiation does the orthodox church prefer to use?
transclementation and re-ordination
What does the orthodox church view the change in transclementation as?
a ‘divine mystery’
- what they consume is mysteriously the body and blood of Christ, not real human flesh and blood
Who challenged the doctrine of substantiation?
Protestant Reformers
Which council reaffirmed the doctrine of substantiation?
The Council of Trent (1551)
Who also reaffirmed the doctrine of substantiation?
Pope Paul VI’s ‘Mysterium Fidei’ (1965)
Who put forward the idea of transignification?
Edward Schillebeeckx
What is transignification?
the belief that Christ is sacramentally, but not physically, present in the consecrated bread and wine
What is believed to happen in transignification when the bread and wine is consecrated?
it takes on the real significance of Christ’s body and blood, but are not chemically changed
What are the 2 kinds of presence in transignification?
local and personal
example: pupils may be “locally” present in a class but if their thoughts are far away, then they are not personally present
Who put forward the idea of transfinalisation?
Karl Rahner
What is transfinalisation?
the belief that when the bread and wine are consecrated, their purpose is changed but not their substance
What happens to the bread and wine in transfinalisation?
it serves a new function; to stir up faith in the mystery of Christ’s redemptive love
Who condemned transfinalisation and transignification due to the fact that it condemned transignification?
Pope Paul VI
Who put forward the idea of consubstantiation and why?
Protestant Reformers, to challenge the idea of transubstantiation
What is consubstantiation?
the belief that the body and blood of Christ co-exists with the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist. Christ is spiritually present “with them, in them and under them”
What does “con” mean and what does this imply about the term ‘consubstantiation’?
“with”: means that consubstantiation means the body and blood of Jesus co-exists WITH the substance of the bread and wine
When is the term consubstantiation often used?
when designating the view of Martin Luther, even though it was never used by him and rejected by most Lutheran churches as unbiblical
What term did Luther use to convey the belief that the ‘real presence’ of Jesus was in the bread and the wine?
Sacramental Union
Who put forward the idea of Memorialism?
Zwingli
What is memorialism?
the belief that the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist are merely symbolic representations of Christ’s body and blood
What did Zwingli teach about Eucharist?
the bread and wine do not communicate Jesus to the recipient
Luke 22:19 and what it suggests
“Do this in remembrance of me”
- suggests that Eucharist is a commemorative ceremony where participants remember Jesus’ sacrifice for them on the cross
How is Jesus present in Eucharist according to Zwingli?
only to the degree that each individual brings him and his work to mind
Who put forward the idea of virtualism?
John Calvin
What is virtualism?
the belief that Christ’s unique power is present in the consecrated bread and wine, but this power is only received by the predestined elect
What is Calvin’s pre destination doctrine?
the belief that God has elected some people to be saved, but not others.
Why does Calvin believe that Christ’s body cannot be present in the Eucharist?
because his body has already ascended into heaven
What is the doctrine of virtualism also known as?
“receptionism”
What are some points to suggest that there is a lot common ground with modern understanding of the Eucharist?
- they all agree that Eucharist was re-instituted by Jesus as a re enactment of his Last Supper
- all agree the bread and wine signify the body and blood
- Eucharist is a source of grace for ALL believers
- it is a symbolic reminder of God’s love for humanity
- all agree that Jesus is present is some way
- reaffirms individual faith
- all agree it is a memorial of Jesus’ last hours
- all agree it is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and of the Christians life with him
- all agree it is a fellowship between them and God
- Eucharist is remembering Jesus and giving thanks to him
What are some points to suggest that there is little common ground with modern understanding of the Eucharist?
- Roman Catholics: transubstantiation
- many Christians do not celebrate Eucharist weekly
- Schillebeeckx: transignification (criticised by Pope)
- Rahner: transfinalisation (criticised by Pope)
- Reformers: Zwingli - memorialism
- Lutheran Church: consubstantiation
- different interpretations on “this is my body”: Orthodox believe it is a mystery. RCs believe this to be literal. Zwingli believes this to be a metaphor.
When is Eucharist celebrated in Orthodox and Catholic traditions?
every Sunday
What does Eucharist traditionally involve?
ornate vessels, colourful vestments, dignified music and liturgy, procession, incense, and a formal structure
What 3 parts does Orthodox Divine Liturgy consist of?
1) Liturgy of Preparation - said only by the Priest and Deacon when the bread and wine is prepared
2) Liturgy of Catechumens - public, includes many litanies, hymns, a reading from the Epistles & Gospels, and a homily
3) Liturgy of the Faithful - restricted to baptised people. involves Eucharistic prayer, the Epiklesis, the Lord’s Prayer and the taking of communion
What 4 parts does Roman Catholic Mass consist of?
1) An Introductory Rite: includes blessing and pentinence
2) Liturgy of the Word: Biblical readings, homily Creed
3) Liturgy of the Eucharist: preparation of bread and wine, Eucharistic prayer, Lord’s prayer, a sign of peace, breaking the bread, taking of communion
4) A concluding rite: blessing and dismal
How often do Calvinist churches celebrate Eucharist?
once a month, but has a devotional basis: to give people time to reflect on their state of sin
How do churches with a memorialist view celebrate Eucharist?
celebrate even less frequently and may lack ceremony and a formal liturgy and structure, but still conducted in a prayerful, dignified manner
How is the role of the priest important in Eucharist?
- it is important for churches that believe Eucharist is a means of grace: consecrating the bread and wine
- the words of Jesus are recited but might not be said by an ordained Priest
- Canon law insists that the priest must strictly adhere to the order of the mass
- without priestly consecration in the Catholic church, the bread and wine fails to change substance
