The Banquet's Wisdom: A Short History of the Theologies of the Lord's Supper

by Gary Macy

"The Banquet's Wisdom" offers a thoughtful and concise overview of the theologies of the Eucharist during the first 1500 years of western Christianity. Gary Macy's engaging writing style makes the complexity of the topic accessible for readers.

Genres: Theology

290 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1992

Reviews

[Tom Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The Banquet's Wisdom," author Gary Macy traces the history of the Eucharist and Eucharistic theology through the local communities of the early Church, the schism between the Western and Eastern Church of 1054, the Protestant Reformation of 1517, and ultimately to the modern era. He provides an excellent factual description of the evolution of the Eucharistic ritual and the accompanying theology which developed only long after it became a part of the Christian tradition. It was intriguing to me just how darn central the Eucharist was, especially to the 14th century Reformers. It was the main sticking point between German Luther and Swiss Zwingli, prohibiting the union of their two Reformist movements, as well as being the main doctrine reaffirmed at the counter-Reformist Catholic Council of Trent later that century. The tone of the book is intensely factual and historic throughout, presenting all ranges of Eucharistic theology as they are. Only at the conclusion does the author get editorial, discussing what separates Christianity today. There is a hopeful reminder of unity we are left with though - the value of the Eucharist in most Christian circles, and the reminder that the Christian Church has been splintered for only a quarter of her existence.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent summary of the development from the early Church to the Reformation.