A Roman Catholic Theology Of The Lord’s Supper

The application of modern methods of biblical scholarship by Roman Catholic scholars since 1943 has been credited with renewing Catholic theology of the Eucharist. Although some early twentieth-century explanations of the meaning of the Eucharist were rejected by papal encyclicals as spiritualizing abandonments of historic belief in Christ's Real Presence, no consensus has emerged regarding language that would offer an alternative to the scholastic terminology of transubstantiation (material, substance, accidents), yet remain entirely faithful to the Roman Catholic tradition of Christ's Real Presence. Some have applied Pauline language about insertion into Christ's saving activity to both baptism and the Eucharist. The Impact of the Biblical Movement Twentieth-century Catholic theologians have continued to address traditional topics pertaining to the celebration of the Eucharist, especially: the sacramental presence of Christ; the representation of the sacrifice of Christ; and the r…