Ep21: What Is Communion?

Jacob J. PrahlowMarch 2, 2017February 28, 2017PodcastsAnglican Church, Church Debates, Church History, Communion, Consubstantiation, Eucharist, History of Christianity, John Calvin, Lord's Supper, Lutheran Church, Martin Luther, Memorialism, Mystery, Podcast, Protestant Reformation, Reformation, Reformed Church, Roman Catholic Church, Sacrament, Sacramental Theology, Special Presence, Transubstantiation, Ulrich Zwingli, Via Media

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Published by Jacob J. Prahlow

Husband of Hayley. Dad of Bree and Judah. Lead pastor at Arise Church. MATS from Saint Louis University, MA from Wake Forest University, BA from Valparaiso University. Theologian and writer here and at Conciliar Post. Find me on social at @pastorjakestl View more posts

4 thoughts on “Ep21: What Is Communion?”

Vincent S Artale Jr says:

March 2, 2017 at 7:41 am

Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.

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Steve Bricker says:

March 6, 2017 at 10:36 am

I listened to the episode over the weekend. Early in the lesson you mention that the ancients thought that the symbol participated in the thing symbolized, which makes sense based on Paul’s use in 1 Cor 10:16. Are there sources that flesh this out more? I would like to do more reading on it.

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1. Jacob J. Prahlow says:
  
  March 7, 2017 at 11:46 am
  
  Steve,
  
  On ancient views of symbol, I’d suggest the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s entry on the metaphysics of Platonism (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/platonism/). More particularly, I recommend Alan Ross Anderson, “What Do Symbols Symbolize? Platonism”, Philosophica Mathematica 1-11, 1/2 (1974): 11-29. On the symbolic within early Christianity, see Frances Young, Biblical Exegesis and the Formation of Christian Culture (Baker, 2002), and Bernard Cooke and Gary Macy, Christian Symbol and Ritual: An Introduction (Oxford, 2005) (I don’t have either of these with me right now, otherwise I’d give more specific page numbers, sorry).
  
  If I didn’t mention this in the podcast, I say it here: talking about symbolism in this way is more a historical and cultural argument than anything specifically theological. That is, it’s an attempt to place ourselves back “into” the worldview of the ancient and understand how they would have interpreted what to our minds is symbolic.
  
  I hope that’s helpful. Thanks, JJP
  
  Reply
  1. Steve Bricker says:
    
    March 9, 2017 at 9:38 am
    
    Thank you for the information. And, yes, you indeed brought up the historical/cultural point in the podcast. It was duly noted.

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4 thoughts on “Ep21: What Is Communion?”

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