Saint Thomas Aquinas’ notion of participation is developed by Cornelio Fabro with the notion of ‘attingere’. In this essay I address the importance of ‘participare’ as attingere by uncovering it in ...Aquinas’ commentary on John 6:57. I introduce the notion of supernatural participation of grace and Fabro’s development of the notions of ‘attingere’ as ‘partecipare per similitudinem’ and ‘partecipare per operationem’ for a fuller understanding of the notion of participation that Fabro holds to be so essential. Afterwards we will see a concrete example in the uncovering of said notions in the Angelic Doctor’s commentary on a central verse of the Bread of Life discourse. Thus, we will be able to see both (a) the importance of the notion of ‘participare’ and ‘attingere’ in Saint Thomas’ work, and (b) have a more profound understanding of a key aspect of the thought of the Doctor Communis on grace and the Eucharist.
Saint Thomas Aquinas’ notion of participation is developed by Cornelio Fabro with the notion of ‘attingere’. In this essay I address the importance of ‘participare’ as attingere by uncovering it in Aquinas’ commentary on John 6:57. I introduce the notion of supernatural participation of grace and Fabro’s development of the notions of ‘attingere’ as ‘partecipare per similitudinem’ and ‘partecipare per operationem’ for a fuller understanding of the notion of participation that Fabro holds to be so essential. Afterwards we will see a concrete example in the uncovering of said notions in the Angelic Doctor’s commentary on a central verse of the Bread of Life discourse. Thus, we will be able to see both (a) the importance of the notion of ‘participare’ and ‘attingere’ in Saint Thomas’ work, and (b) have a more profound understanding of a key aspect of the thought of the Doctor Communis on grace and the Eucharist.
Jesus was resurrected on Sunday morning. Scripture describes both the Last Supper and early Christian gatherings taking place close to the beginning of the day, according to the differing Jewish and ...Roman understandings of when this was. The resurrection is associated with light and life, and morning celebration with worshippers facing east amplifies this. Against this norm, evening celebration may be theologically or pastorally justified on particular occasions. The Eucharist makes the Church, bringing Christians together as Christ’s body into an organic spiritual unity. It engages the senses, including by means of movement and symbolism, and promotes active participation in worship and potentially in wider church and social life.
Evangelicals are known for their unique ecclesiology. Evangelicalism believes that the true church is a spiritual fellowship of saved believers. This perspective in fact leads to the consequence that ...the invisible church is upheld and the visible church becomes soteriologically irrelevant. As a result, the visible church only ends up as a commodity marketed to attract converts. If evangelicals are faithful to the gospel, then the concept of the church must be taken seriously, not just perceived functionally. For this reason, I propose the construction of a eucharistic ecclesiology through the framework of Alexander Schmemann’s thoughts on the liturgy, the Eucharist, and the church in providing an alternative to seeing ecclesiology from liturgical studies. I shall integrate Schmemann’s thinking with the idea that a “worshipping community essentially formed the church.” My claim is: that a eucharistic ecclesiology rooted in the practice of the eucharistic liturgy can be a solid ecclesiological basis for evangelicals, especially in affirming the ontology of the church. I hope that the construction of eucharistic ecclesiology can contribute to revitalizing evangelical ecclesiology.
The late John A.T. Robinson claimed to have identified in St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (16:22) “the remains of the earliest Christian liturgical sequence we possess”. While assessing ...his thesis, I also continue with my own parallel investigation into another possible liturgical sequence in chapter fourteen of First Corinthians. This second sequence has previously been overlooked for two reasons: first, because of the ambiguity in the meaning of the word eucharistia, and, second, because Paul's focus in the passage is on glossolalia, leaving the liturgical import of it somewhat opaque.
In times of the Covid-19 pandemic, many congregations had to stop celebrating the Eucharist or find new ways to do so – one of these being online Eucharist services in synchronous and diachronous ...settings. The article describes developments in the Protestant Churches of Germany and shows that the interplay of theology and church practices is essential. On the background of the fundamental dialectics of absence and presence in (Christian) liturgy and Luther’s writings on the Lord’s Supper, the article proposes two axes that open up a ‘field’ of diverse ritual practices: community and gift. Many different ways of celebrating the Lord’s Supper seem to be possible in this field – also celebrations in synchronous digital settings (video conferences). The Covid-19 crisis is seen as a chance to rethink sacramental theology and ways of celebration – in the context of a permanent change of liturgical practices.
Contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologian, Ioannis Zizioulas, is certainly one of the most prominent theologians of the modern times considering his great work as well as the depth of his thought. ...Although his work explores a spectrum of theological ideas, this paper brings his ecclesiology into light from a point of view of “liturgical” and “therapeutic” ecclesiology, which Zizioulas recognizes within the eastern tradition as two types of ecclesiology that are intertwined and therefore cannot be separated one from the other. Thus, this paper examines Zizioulas’ work in the context of the contemporary Greek Orthodox theology and puts forward his interest and view on ecclesiology with an aim to illustrate the “liturgical” and “therapeutic” dimension of ecclesiology that is present in his work and thought which are based fairly on patristic theology. Along these lines, this paper presents his ecclesiological concept right through the prism of “liturgical” and “therapeutic” ecclesiology.
