The Lord's Supper

by Martin E. Marty

This new release of Martin E. Marty's classic book on Holy Communion features a new study guide to help individual readers and study groups ponder the meaning of this Christian sacrament. In his personal and inviting voice, Marty describes the origins of Holy Communion and the important role this sacrament has played throughout the history of the Christian church. By expressing the thoughts of Christians as they prepare for church, as they listen to the pastor's sermon, and as they receive the sacrament, the author captures the powerful meaning of the Lord's Supper. "The body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper are the body and blood of Christ on the cross," Marty writes. "The cross was for you, and so is the Supper."

Genres: Christian, Religion, Theology

88 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1964

About the author

Martin E. Marty was an American religious scholar and historian known for his extensive work on religion in the United States. A Lutheran pastor before transitioning into academia, he became a leading voice in religious studies, particularly in the areas of American Protestantism, fundamentalism, and public religion. He was a longtime professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he mentored numerous doctoral students and held the prestigious Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professorship.
Marty wrote or edited a book for nearly every year of his academic career, producing influential works such as Righteous Empire: The Protestant Experience in America, which won the National Book Award, and the five-volume Fundamentalism Project, co-edited with R. Scott Appleby. He was a prolific columnist for The Christian Century and wrote extensively on religion's role in American public life.
A recipient of numerous honors, including the National Humanities Medal and over 80 honorary doctorates, Marty also served as president of several academic societies and participated in U.S. presidential commissions. The Martin Marty Center for the Advanced Study of Religion at the University of Chicago was named in his honor.

Reviews

[James Gadomski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not incredibly impressed with the book. It tries too hard to be a sort of "middle of the road" book that excludes as few Eucharistic theologies as possible. As long as you find the Lord's Supper to be somewhat important for some sort of generic reason, you will find yourself able to agree with the book for the most part.

[Jon Richter]

It doesn't feel like a very contemporary book, so I struggled through most of it. The best image: the mystery of the Eucharist as something that when you pull the curtain back, there is another, then another, then another. Is the point to keep pulling them back, or to revel in the mystery?

[Noah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed. I read Marty's commentary on Baptism last year and that was very well written. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately those hopes did not materialize as this commentary was nothing like his other. This commentary probably deserves a lower rating than I gave it...

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is short, but dense. On several occasions, I would read a section a second time, just to make sure I understood what Marty was explaining to me.

The most important concept I got out of this book was Marty's discussion of "Tell me about me". Not the self-serving "it is all about me" but the story of me becoming more human; me becoming part of the bigger we.

I will be thinking about this for a long time, hopefully in relationship to what I read as well as what I am learning spiritually. It should even inform my conversations with others. I should be making sure I relate to others through them rather than through me.

I am grateful to Marty for making me think through these concepts and some of my preconceptions about Holy Communion.