The Lord's Supper

Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics #XII

by John R. Stephenson

This dogmatic resource is based upon the outline and thought pattern of the Lutheran Confessions. The series is strictly and consciously confessional in its presentation of doctrine and its assessment and analysis of modern theological trends throughout the Christian church.

CONTENTS

Preface to the General Introduction
General Introduction
Preface
Abbreviations

Part One: What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

1. A Sign of Contradiction
2. On the Night He Was Betrayed
3. Hail True Body
4. The Church’s Heartbeat

Part Two: This Do

5. In His Person and Name
6. Eucharist and Sacrifice
7. As Often as You Drink It
8. Our Sad Divisions

Part Three: The Benefits of This Eating and Drinking

9. A Divine Synergy
10. A Real but Useless Presence?
11. Forgiveness, Life, and Salvation
12. Our Heaven on Earth

Appendix One: Note on Nomenclature
Appendix Two: Three (Unequal) Ways of Speaking
Appendix Three: A Scholastic Footnote with Scriptural Content
Appendix Four: This Bread and This Cup
Bibliography
Indices

From the book

“The central dogmatic thesis of this book is that whenever the church militant legitimately celebrates her Lord’s Supper, the exalted God-man Jesus Christ performs a miracle in earthly time and space by giving His body to be eaten and His blood to be drunk under blessed bread and wine. Since this marvel is intimately connected with our Lord’s divine person in its two natures and His justification of the ungodly, it lies at the very heart of the faith once delivered to the saints” [pp. 2-3].

“As it magnifies His person and work, His Supper necessarily becomes, with the Lord Himself, ‘a sign that is spoken against’ (Lk 2:34c). Nowhere do the grace and truth of God in Christ and the unity of the church find more powerful expression than in the sacrament of the altar. Because this is so, Holy Communion serves as a lightning rod for the remorseless assaults launched by unbelief and heresy against incarnate God” [pp. 4-5].

What reviewers have said about The Lord’s Supper

“There seems to be a growing appreciation of and desire to receive the sacrament of the altar among members of the Lutheran Church. . . . Dr. Stephenson’s new book on the eucharist is well suited to help pastors feed and sustain this growing sacramental piety. It should be in every pastor’s library. Here we have a highly competent treatment of the Lutheran Church’s theology of holy communion. Not only is the author thoroughly familiar with Martin Luther’s writings on this doctrine and the writings of leading Lutheran scholars since then, he also shares with us the contributions of leading Catholic theologians such as Johann Auer and Joseph Ratzinger. . . . This book argues that the health and preservation of Christ’s church is intimately bound up with the Lord’s Supper. This sacrament is the church’s heartbeat (67-80), because holy communion is the gospel. . . .”
–Vernon P. Kleinig, Lutheran Theological Journal (Australia)

“Many North American Lutherans gravitate toward either Evangelicalism or mainline Protestantism. Yet when it comes to the Sacrament of the Altar, most American Protestants are heirs of Zwingli. . . . Given such a context where the symbolical view prevails, it behooves us to delve deeply into the doctrine and practice of the Sacrament. To that end, John R. Stephenson has given us an excellent treasure. . . . As one would expect, the volume is particularly strong in laying out the classical Lutheran position articulated in the 16th-17th centuries. Stephenson does the reader the service of giving extensive quotations in the footnotes. He also interacts with modern challenges, such as Hans Lietzmann’s views and recent ecumenical developments. . . Stephenson has given the church a great resource that is well-written, well-researched, and insightful. Morever, it offers interesting discussions on a wide variety of topics, such as nomenclature, transubstantiation, and distinctions regarding local, definitive, and repletive presence. May his fine treatment move us to frequent Communion and to say with Luther, ‘I love it from the heart, this dear, blessed Supper of my Lord Jesus Christ.’”
–Paul Raabe, Concordia Journal

Genres: Theology

312 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Jared Mindel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot to like about this book. I think it does a very good job distinguishing between the Reformed and Lutherans, and how the vagueness in language can account for some interpretations of certain Reformed figures as more or less real.

The stuff on the sacrifice of the mass was good too.

I wish there was more advanced discussion of the nature of bodies. That would make it 5 stars.

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I come back to Dr. Stephenson's book on The Lord's Supper, I am struck by its eloquent language and its exquisite theology. Just beautiful in every respect, and a must-read for any Lutheran pastor, and really for anyone who cares to know and understand the Biblical doctrine of the Lord's Supper.

[Brett Salkeld]

This book will surely make Confessional Lutherans stand up and cheer. Stephenson engages the sources and presents his case with insight and clarity. For non-Lutherans (like myself) interested in the Lutheran perspective, this book is a bit of a mixed bag. Stephenson's reading of other Lutherans, like Robert Jenson, are quite dismissive and one wonders if Stephenson isn't giving the whole picture. As such, one would be wise to read Jenson on one's own in order to get a broader picture of the Lutheran world. Further, Stephenson's ecumenical pessimism is an unnecessary distraction, especially because his own work does provide grist for the mill of genuine ecumenical dialogue. There is much here for the Catholic scholar to engage, but one fears being dismissed out of hand if one does not offer a full endorsement of Stephenson on every point. All in all, informative, clear and well-written, but the chip on Stephenson's shoulder gives this reviewer pause.

[Matthew Gunia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book. Polemic writing style. Interacts with competing theologies of Communion, especially Roman Catholic and Zwinglian/Calvinist. Rooted in Reformation history and theology, with a good deal of exegesis, Patristics, and analysis of modern manifestations of older heresies.