•The Complete Library of Christian Worship • Edited by Robert E. Webber
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The Sacred Actions Of Christian Worship1,000-Character Scholarly Preview

History Of The Lord's Supper

Contributor / Topic: Sacred Actions of Worship
Source: The Complete Library of Christian Worship, Robert E. Webber, General Editor

One of the most profound events in the life of Jesus was the supper he shared with his disciples on the eve of his death. At that supper, Jesus commanded his disciples to share this meal until he comes again. For centuries the church has followed this command, sharing the Supper of the Lord, eating the bread and drinking the cup as a witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus. No sacred action has been as significant for the life of the church as the Lord's Supper. Every worship tradition has developed theologies and liturgies for the Lord's Supper-attesting to the rich diversity in the church. In the past few decades we have has witnessed a convergence of the theology and practice of the Lord's Supper-attesting to the essential unity of the church. The following entries outline the history, theology, and practice of the Lord's Supper. Developed from Jewish models, the liturgical form of the Christian Eucharist was well established in the earliest centuries. Although embellishments…

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In This Section

Chapters & Articles in History Of The Lord's Supper (6)

Entry 1
The Lord’s Supper In The Early Church

The early church established the patterns for the theology and practice of the Lord's Supper that have largely been…

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Entry 2
The Lord’s Supper In The Medieval West And The Modern Roman Catholic Church

Both the texts of the various prayers and directions for eucharistic practice survive from about the seventh centur…

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Entry 3
The Lord’s Supper In The Eastern Churches

Although the Eastern churches divided in the fifth century between those that accepted the Christological formula o…

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Entry 4
The Lord’s Supper In The Reformation Era

Martin Luther insisted that Christ's body and blood are really present in the Eucharist. On the other hand, the Swi…

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Entry 5
The Lord’s Supper Among Radical Protestants (1525–1900)

A cluster of believers' church movements offered an alternative view of Protestant approaches to the Lord's Supper.…

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Entry 6
Convergence At The Table

Creative thinking about the presence of Christ in the Eucharist in the twentieth century has been largely devoted t…

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