Anglican Eucharistic Theology

Anglican Eucharistic theology differs from the Roman Catholic version in several ways, especially in its theological foundations. For the majority of Christians, there is no longer any need to make an effort to convert or change their church structure, as the very essence of the faith is contained in its fundamentals. However, there are many converts to Catholicism who still want to have the seal of approval by adding to its official structure of the cathedral in the home church. They would like to participate in its liturgy, receive its Communion, and participate in the administration of its sacraments.

Although most of the essential doctrines of Anglicanism are found in the Bible, the Catholic church has always insisted that true followers of Christ must make an effort to study the creeds and teachings of the Holy Fathers. In fact, it was the very process of this study that gave rise to the idea of the papacy, as the fathers would have required to make an effort to understand the infallible teachings of the Godhead. Therefore, the basic principles of Anglicanism and Catholicism are not different.

However, they differ primarily in their theological foundations. Whereas the fundamental teachings of the reformed fathers have been greatly revised and abridged by the councils of the English rite, the papacy, following the council of Trent, continued to restrict the bishops in matters of faith and order, especially in regard to the Deposit of Faith.

Anglican eucharistic theology – Wikipedia – anglican eucharistic theology

Because the Catholic hierarchy was unwilling to compromise in this regard, in the sixteenth century the schismatic movement broke out into two main camps, the Reformers and the Arminians. The Reformers insisted on the real presence and therefore rejected the idea of salvation by grace through faith alone, while the Arminians rejected salvation by grace but accepted the doctrine of salvation through works. In the seventeenth century the Reformed Church split into two major groups, the Augsburgers and the Calvinists. Although the schismatic tendencies within the reformed Churches did not produce a split between Catholics and Protestants, the schismatic tendencies within the reformed churches were enough to cause major divisions between the two groups.

There have been many disputes between the two groups since the schismatic tendency developed. One of these major splits is between those who hold to the traditional teaching of the infallible Word of God and those who hold to the idea of creative grace. Some of the most famous examples of this divide include the debates between the proponents of Rome and Protestants over the primacy of the papacy. The schismatic tendencies in the reformed churches were particularly severe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Some of the greatest figures in both the Protestant and Catholic churches were involved in these disputes, some of them claiming infallibility while others denying it altogether.

Today there are two main tendencies in Anglican Eucharistic theology. While some of the older Reformed churches accept theologically traditional teachings of the Bible and a high church degree, more conservative churches have adopted a much stricter form of expression.

The traditional teachings of the Bible are held to be infallible while new dispensations and definitions of scripture are considering to be opinions that are open to argument. Furthermore, there is a great deal of variation between the various expressions of this Anglican liturgy. There are many different kinds of readings, types of hymns, as well as different kinds of dress, customs and gestures used during Eucharistic celebrations.

Theologies of salvation are not only expressed in terms of beliefs and actions, but also in terms of the interpretation of the sacred text. Most Reformed Churches has accepted the teachings of the unction of the body of Christ and have developed their own individual liturgical traditions which often conform with the traditions of the early church.

A lot of variation between Eucharistic celebrations has arisen because of the scholastic movements of the Middle Ages, which sought to understand the deepest meaning of the Bible. In order to understand the essential differences between the Reformed and Anabaptist expressions of Eucharistic theology, it is important to recognize the difference between sacramental and receptionism. Both have an important role in the life of the church but only one has a clear and unalterable meaning.

In sacramental Eucharistic theology, Christ's body is believed to be real food while the bread and wine are only signs or symbols of this bread. Since the body and bread are believed to be the actual substance of Christ, the Eucharist cannot be considered as sacrosanct. Because of this, some Reformed churches have rejected the idea of interpreting the Eucharist under the concept of unalterable truth.

The idea of infallible truth is seen by these Churches as a medieval aberration from the original teachings of the gospel. In other words, these groups maintain that salvation is through faith alone without the help of good works or actions. While the Anabaptist view is that salvation is achieved through theosis – entrance into God's righteousness by the obedience of Christ – and through the work of our pre-born children.

In the Anabaptist view, salvation is viewed as something achieved through theosis, not through faith or the work of the pre-born. In addition, both the Anabaptist and Scotic views reject solateness, the idea that salvation can only be achieved through one's submission to the will of a superior power such as a king or an emperor.

In contrast, both the Roman Catholics and Protestants reject the idea of the Lord's Supper and the notion that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was enough at the Crucifixion to save mankind from eternal suffering. While the Anabaptist and Scotic faiths differ on many issues, they are both fundamentally religious movements with which to identify. In light of current debates over same-sex marriage and evolution, it appears the debate over Anabaptism and Scotism may be unnecessary.