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Spectrum Multiview
The Lord's Supper: Five Views
Lord's Supper. Eucharist. Communion. Sacrament. Ordinance. While it's the meal that should unite us as followers of Christ, it sometimes appears we can't even agree on what to call it, let alone how we might share a common theological view of its significance. Even if we cannot reach full agreement, how can we better understand one another and this central observance of the Christian faith? In this Spectrum Multiview volume Gordon Smith has invited five representatives of differing views within Christian tradition. Each holds his or her views with conviction and makes the case for that tradition. Each responds to the other views with charity, highlighting significant areas of agreement and disagreement. The views and contributors include Here's a book that offers more light than heat on an important topic. Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and also respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.
- GenresTheology
159 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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88 people want to read
About the author
Gordon T. Smith
30 books36 followersGordon T. Smith is the president of Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta, where he also serves as professor of systematic and spiritual theology. He is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and a teaching fellow at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many books, including Courage and Calling, Called to Be Saints, Spiritual Direction, and Consider Your Calling.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 25, 2013
"The Lord's Supper: Five Views" is a very helpful book in understanding differing perspectives about the Eucharist among varying Christian denominations. The perspectives represented here are Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist and Pentecostal. There is a lot of engagement among the contributors. Each theologian presents their tradition's view of the Lord's Supper. Following this, the remaining scholars offer short responses to the view presented, highlighting mutual ground while also pointing out areas of disagreement that remain. The fact that five streams of Christianity are presented here is a boon for ecumenical efforts to discuss the Lord's Supper, the sacrament that, tragically, has often served more as a sort of disunity in the Church than unity.
However, there are some criticisms of this book. First of all, as is admitted in the introduction, this book is not complete. Orthodox and Anglican readers, to name a few, will find their own views missing (although they will find beliefs they can affirm represented among the five views here). Secondly, each one of these essays could easily be a book in and of itself. Due to this, the essays are not as fully drawn out as they could be and while the contributors write about major points in their denomination's understanding of the Lord's Supper, much is also left out or left unpolished. Lastly, reading through these five views can be a befuddling experience. I was left scratching my head as to who disagrees or agrees with who. A more careful reading, perhaps in a seminary class, would have made this confusion less of a problem. Martin Bucer at one time thought that Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli held to the same views of the Lord's Supper, they just used different terms with different definitions in explaining their position. But with so many of the contributors praising one another and affirming one another's statements, it was difficult to understand what clearly demarcated a Catholic's understanding of the Lord's Supper as compared to a Lutheran's. A visual aid, like a table with certain categories such as "real presence" or "administration of the sacrament" followed by check-marks indicating each tradition's approach would have been a valuable tool in clearing up much of this confusion. The tones of the contributors is irenic, although I feel as if the Lutheran contributor is the most brazen in his presentation and criticism of the views of others.
However, there are some criticisms of this book. First of all, as is admitted in the introduction, this book is not complete. Orthodox and Anglican readers, to name a few, will find their own views missing (although they will find beliefs they can affirm represented among the five views here). Secondly, each one of these essays could easily be a book in and of itself. Due to this, the essays are not as fully drawn out as they could be and while the contributors write about major points in their denomination's understanding of the Lord's Supper, much is also left out or left unpolished. Lastly, reading through these five views can be a befuddling experience. I was left scratching my head as to who disagrees or agrees with who. A more careful reading, perhaps in a seminary class, would have made this confusion less of a problem. Martin Bucer at one time thought that Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli held to the same views of the Lord's Supper, they just used different terms with different definitions in explaining their position. But with so many of the contributors praising one another and affirming one another's statements, it was difficult to understand what clearly demarcated a Catholic's understanding of the Lord's Supper as compared to a Lutheran's. A visual aid, like a table with certain categories such as "real presence" or "administration of the sacrament" followed by check-marks indicating each tradition's approach would have been a valuable tool in clearing up much of this confusion. The tones of the contributors is irenic, although I feel as if the Lutheran contributor is the most brazen in his presentation and criticism of the views of others.
December 28, 2022
As with other books in this series, this one allows five representatives lay out their views of the Eucharist, followed by brief responses by the other participants. It's a helpful format, that allows for questions to be raised. In this book, we have Roman CAtholic, Lutheran (Missouri Synod), Reformed (Presbyterian), Baptist, and Pentecostal. The editor notes that others could have been represented -- including the Disciples, Orthodox, and Anglican.
It's a helpful book, though I found the Missouri Synod Lutheran representative to be a bit annoying as he out-catholicked the Catholic. Otherwise, it's helpful.
It's a helpful book, though I found the Missouri Synod Lutheran representative to be a bit annoying as he out-catholicked the Catholic. Otherwise, it's helpful.
March 15, 2018
This book engages five voices on conversation on the eucharist: Brother Jeffrey Gros (Roman Catholic), John R. Stephenson (Lutheran), Reformed (Leanne Van Dyck), Baptist (Roger E. Olson), and Pentecostal (Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen). The Eastern Orthodox perspective is conspicuously absent, which unfortunately limits the value of the book.
Gros spends much of his chapter on transubstantiation. “Externally, the bread and wine retain their appearance even after consecration,” he writes. “Yet at the same time the whole Christ is sacramentally present in them-the whole Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity”. The Catholic formulation in historic debates has been transubstantiation. “Although other explanations of this presence would be possible, none has yet been approved by the Catholic Church” (9). It does not repeat Christ’s sacrifice but “sacramentally re-presents it” (11).
Stephenson, in the most polemical chapter (Olsen describes it as “offensive” (82)), defends the corporeal presence of Christ’s body and blood. This creates “an insuperable wall of separation between orthodox Lutheranism and the wide world of Protestantism” (61), while “the different ways in which Lutherans and Roman Catholics articulate the real presence are in themselves not necessarily church-divisive” (65).
Leanne Van Dyck argues for the Reformed view—Calvin’s instrumentalism, in contrast to Zwingli’s memorialism or Bullinger’s parallelism. Calvin viewed the sacrament as a true means of grace, with Christ’s ascended presence mediated by the Holy Spirit (106)—an emphasis the Pentecostal Kärkkäinen finds intriguing (124).
Olson sides with historic Anabaptists and Baptists in rejecting “any idea that the grace of God is especially attached to these visible, physical objects or emblems” (131). He grants that “emblems are objects in an event in which Christ is present and active in strengthening participants' faith” (132). There is no real presence; at most the ordinance can be compared to the renewal of wedding vows (142).
Kärkkäinen admits that “Pentecostals have devoted little attention to developing any kind of constructive theology of sacraments in general or the Lord's Supper in particular” (169). Pentecostals have generally adopted the memorialist view, but surprisingly have not reflected on the Spirit’s role in mediating Christ’s presence (181). Many questions and possibilities remain for the emerging generation of Pentecostal scholars. Perhaps the most interesting possibility would be Calvin’s doctrine of the Lord’s Supper combined with Pentecostal fire.
Gros spends much of his chapter on transubstantiation. “Externally, the bread and wine retain their appearance even after consecration,” he writes. “Yet at the same time the whole Christ is sacramentally present in them-the whole Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity”. The Catholic formulation in historic debates has been transubstantiation. “Although other explanations of this presence would be possible, none has yet been approved by the Catholic Church” (9). It does not repeat Christ’s sacrifice but “sacramentally re-presents it” (11).
Stephenson, in the most polemical chapter (Olsen describes it as “offensive” (82)), defends the corporeal presence of Christ’s body and blood. This creates “an insuperable wall of separation between orthodox Lutheranism and the wide world of Protestantism” (61), while “the different ways in which Lutherans and Roman Catholics articulate the real presence are in themselves not necessarily church-divisive” (65).
Leanne Van Dyck argues for the Reformed view—Calvin’s instrumentalism, in contrast to Zwingli’s memorialism or Bullinger’s parallelism. Calvin viewed the sacrament as a true means of grace, with Christ’s ascended presence mediated by the Holy Spirit (106)—an emphasis the Pentecostal Kärkkäinen finds intriguing (124).
Olson sides with historic Anabaptists and Baptists in rejecting “any idea that the grace of God is especially attached to these visible, physical objects or emblems” (131). He grants that “emblems are objects in an event in which Christ is present and active in strengthening participants' faith” (132). There is no real presence; at most the ordinance can be compared to the renewal of wedding vows (142).
Kärkkäinen admits that “Pentecostals have devoted little attention to developing any kind of constructive theology of sacraments in general or the Lord's Supper in particular” (169). Pentecostals have generally adopted the memorialist view, but surprisingly have not reflected on the Spirit’s role in mediating Christ’s presence (181). Many questions and possibilities remain for the emerging generation of Pentecostal scholars. Perhaps the most interesting possibility would be Calvin’s doctrine of the Lord’s Supper combined with Pentecostal fire.
March 5, 2011
I am not a huge fan of the multiple views books. They do provide a nice overview of varying points of view, but they fail to be winsome and provide a sustained vision. Because you get to hear everyone's responses, by the time you get to the second or third author's contribution, you pretty much know what every one has to say and it is a slog through to finish it, or you simply skip to the most agreeable author. This book was better than most, because the tone was not so much debate as a mutual exploration and appreciation.
There are some great things here, I like that there is a survey of different traditions (and yes, not every Christian tradition is represented but enough to give you a taste).
There are some great things here, I like that there is a survey of different traditions (and yes, not every Christian tradition is represented but enough to give you a taste).
April 6, 2015
This was an interesting read. I was particularly interested in the Pentecostal view just because no one ever really talks about it.
I appreciated the tone of this book a lot. I was most touched by the Roman Catholic's attitude. He was very eccumenical (perhaps more so than the rest of his Church?).
As an Anglican, I felt a little left out. I know they can't possibly represent every single view but you'd think they could include one of the largest denominations in the world. I guess we can just read the Roman Catholic and Lutheran chapters and "spit out the bones" of their particular denominational flaws.
Overall, this is a good reference book for theologians to get familiarized with other traditions but it's not particularly ground breaking or earth shattering.
I appreciated the tone of this book a lot. I was most touched by the Roman Catholic's attitude. He was very eccumenical (perhaps more so than the rest of his Church?).
As an Anglican, I felt a little left out. I know they can't possibly represent every single view but you'd think they could include one of the largest denominations in the world. I guess we can just read the Roman Catholic and Lutheran chapters and "spit out the bones" of their particular denominational flaws.
Overall, this is a good reference book for theologians to get familiarized with other traditions but it's not particularly ground breaking or earth shattering.
August 31, 2013
Really enjoyed this book! I learned a lot about what the five most common views about the Lord's Supper in churches across America. Each view was written by men who believed and studied their particular doctrine, which helps the reader overcome any "straw men" fallacies he/she may have about these views.
For a more complete review, check out our family blog at www.theisleofstantons.blogspot.com
For a more complete review, check out our family blog at www.theisleofstantons.blogspot.com
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews