Introduction to Eucharistic Theology

Eucharistic Theology  can be summed up in the point that Christ is forever present. There have been debates about His presence within modern Western Theology. However, in the entire celebration Christ is present in the entire celebration. Christ is present in the gathering of the church community. This is inherited from Pauline theology when we say Christ is present in the word; we venerate the word ultimately showing how Christ comes to us in the reading and preaching of scripture. Orthodoxy is beginning to rediscover this concept recently. What Christ presence's in the food means for us is that when we partake of the divine food we commune with God and with one another. Our existence is then affirmed and strengthened through our participation of the divine food. We are what we eat and this is the basis of what the church has always said. How then is Christ present in this bread and wine? What happens to the elements? The beauty of the church is that one does not need to offer a metaphysical answer to these questions. The bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ because Jesus says they are (cf. 1 Cor 11, and the institution narrative in the gospel accounts). Christ is the Logos the incarnate word (cf. John 1.1-2) and is the purpose for all creation. The how is not quite so evident. What we taste and see is bread and wine. For the most part the Orthodox Church has never accepted the substance and assistance's of what the Catholic Church teaches.

The Orthodox approach is taken from the approach modeled on the incarnation. It is based on the fact that God becomes man but in so doing did not destroy humanity but united humanity to Himself. This is the whole point of Athanasius "On the Incarnation". God became man so that man can become god (cf. Chapter 54 in the book). This same model Athanasius writes about is applied to the Eucharist. Christ humanity is preserved that He is fully man and fully God. The nature of the bread and wine are preserved that they are bread and wine. Christ was also divine human so the bread and wine become the divine glorious resurrected form of Christ. The Eucharist liturgy is itself an affirmation of the incarnation. This is precisely what Fr. Alexander Schemamann speaks of about in the article entitled sacrament and the world. The point he makes is that all creation is potentially symbolic in the sense it is transparent to God and should become a means of communion with God. In the Eucharist the created elements becomes a means to be in communion with God. The divine food becomes what they originally are supposed to be and that is perfect food. The purpose of Christ incarnation is in the Eucharist. Christ himself is the perfect symbol. He is the perfect bridge from the human to the divine. Christ is the perfect man the new Adam this recreated restored humanity given the capacity to be what it was created for through the participation in the divine life.

It is in the liturgy in the broadest sense that this reality is affirmed and lived. The important concept is participation understood as a lived relationship with God. It is no accident Paul uses the bride connection in his epistle. Ephesians 5 is not about marriage between man and women but our marriage to God. To talk about the real presence of Eucharist it is not efficient to talk about just the bread and wine but its complete form in the person of Christ. Liturgy is not an ends but rather liturgy is the beginning for the worshiper leading to the kingdom of God. Liturgy is a living reality meaning it will change and adapt in regards to language and musical style. What the ultimate meaning comes down to is the change pastoral? Is the gospel message being lived out by the gathered community? Is the body of Christ broken? Once we realize that we are the body of Christ then we will be able to live in communion with Christ and his gospel message.               

I would recommend any of Fr. Alexander Schmemann books on Eucharist Theology however before reading any of his books the first book I would read by him in order to understand Fr. Alexander I would read "For the Life of the World". This is a good introduction book on Eucharistic Theology and understanding what kind of person Fr. Alexander was: