An Anabaptist Theology Of The Lord’s Supper

The sixteenth-century Anabaptists followed Ulrich Zwingli, the Reformer of the city of Zurich, where the first wing of Anabaptism originated, in viewing the Lord's Supper as a memorial, or sign, of Christ's death. However, they believed that Christ was profoundly present in their hearts, even if the bread and wine were not the vehicles to accomplish that presence. Their emphasis on the Lord's Supper as a simple fellowship underscores the fundamentally communal nature of their theology of the Eucharist. A Sign of Inward, Spiritual Union with Christ Like the Protestant Reformers, the sixteenth-century Anabaptists denied that Communion bread and wine are Jesus' literal body and blood. The bread, they insisted, is simply bread; the wine is simply wine; and the Lord's Supper is a simple fellowship meal-not a ritual. Anabaptist leaders, some of whom had been associated with Ulrich Zwingli, employed his language, calling the Lord's Supper a memorial, or sign, of Jesus' death. As such the L…