Transubstantiation
Transubstantiation is a key doctrine in Roman Catholic theology that describes the belief that during the Eucharist, commonly known as Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper, the bread and wine used in the sacrament are miraculously transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ, while retaining their physical appearance. This belief is rooted in the accounts of the Last Supper, where Jesus instructed his disciples to partake in these elements in remembrance of him. Catholics maintain that this transformation occurs during the Eucharistic Prayer, a central part of the Mass, and is accepted as a matter of faith rather than scientific proof.
The term "transubstantiation" derives from Latin words meaning "across" or "beyond" and "substance," indicating a change in essence. While this doctrine is embraced by Roman Catholics and some Orthodox churches, other Christian denominations reject it, favoring alternative views such as consubstantiation or the concept of the "real presence," which acknowledge a spiritual connection without asserting a physical transformation. Throughout history, transubstantiation has faced scrutiny and debate, particularly during the Protestant Reformation, where reformers challenged its literal interpretation and emphasized metaphorical readings of Jesus' statements about Communion. Overall, transubstantiation remains a significant and revered aspect of Catholic worship and theology.
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Transubstantiation
Transubstantiation is a religious term for a Roman Catholic doctrine, or teaching, related to beliefs about the sacrament known as the Eucharist. Often referred to as Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper, the sacrament of Eucharist occurs during a Catholic mass and involves the distribution of some form of bread and wine. Catholics believe the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ but retain the physical appearance of bread and wine. Since it cannot be proven, transubstantiation is seen as a miraculous occurrence that is accepted on faith. While some Orthodox churches also accept the doctrine of transubstantiation, many other Christian faith traditions do not but hold beliefs that are similar, such as consubstantiation or the belief in the "real presence" in the Eucharist.
Background
The term "transubstantiation" comes from two Latin words: trans, meaning "across" or "beyond" and substantia, or "substance." Beginning in the fourteenth century, medieval Latin used the word transubstatiationem to mean "the change of one substance to another." The earliest known use of the word to refer to the Eucharist is found in written records dating to the early sixteenth century.
The concept of transubstantiation as a Catholic doctrine has its earliest origins in the Last Supper, the name given to the Passover meal Jesus Christ celebrated with his disciples on the night before he was arrested, condemned, and crucified. According to the Bible's accounts of the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and broke it into pieces and told his disciples to take it and eat it, and that it was his body. He also took a cup of wine and shared it with the disciples while telling them it was his blood. He asked them to do this in memory of him. (Matt. 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-39; John 13:1-17:26).
Bread and wine were common in meals during the first century, so they were readily available when Christ's followers met after his death. Believing that he had resurrected, or returned, from the dead and ascended into Heaven and would return to them, they gathered often to read accounts of Jesus's teachings, discuss them, and share meals. This was referred to as "breaking bread," which was often simply a way of indicating they were having a meal together, since this was the way a host would share the bread (Acts 2:42).
Over time, however, reenacting Jesus's final meal by sharing a communal loaf of bread and a cup of wine became a practice for early Christians. By the middle of the first century, a letter written to the Christians at Corinth and attributed to the apostle Paul indicated a move toward seeing the bread and wine as a sharing of the body and blood of Jesus. Many scholars see this as a move from the practice of sharing bread and wine to merely reenact the Last Supper to seeing it as a way of joining with Jesus and sharing in his body and blood.
The Church gradually refined the concept of transubstantiation over the centuries. Two ecumenical councils, or large gatherings of church leaders for the purpose of establishing beliefs and practices, met in Ephesus in 431 and in Nicaea in 787, and each affirmed the idea that the bread and wine literally became the body and blood of Jesus while maintaining the physical attributes of bread and wine. The Council of Trent, held between 1545 and 1563, defined transubstantiation as an official church teaching, or dogma.
Overview
Roman Catholics believe that during the celebration of mass, sometimes known as the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the communion elements of bread and wine presented at the altar are mystically and miraculously transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This transubstantiation happens during the Eucharistic Prayer, which recalls Jesus's words at the Last Supper. Catholics fully accept that the bread and wine retain Jesus's physical attributes. If tested in a laboratory, they would show all the physical characteristics of bread and wine. However, Catholics believe that the essence of the bread and wine ceases to be and is instead replaced with the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. This presence of Jesus is then taken into the body and spirit of the person receiving communion. Once the bread and wine have been transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ, they are considered holy objects that are treated with respect and often displayed in special holders called a monstrance for adoration and worship.
Throughout the centuries, some have objected to, rejected, or refuted the idea of transubstantiation. Some prefer a doctrine known as consubstantiation, which states that the bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ but are not physically transformed into them. Others accept a doctrine known as the real presence. This doctrine, which is also part of the Catholic teachings on transubstantiation, states that Christ is present in the communion elements and is given to the recipient of communion. However, it stops short of claiming that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.
Arguments have been presented against transubstantiation for centuries. During the Protestant Reformation (1517– 648), many reformers argued in favor of consubstantiation instead of transubstantiation. One of the arguments used to refute the doctrine of transubstantiation is that Jesus often used metaphors when speaking of himself; for instance, he referred to himself as a shepherd, a true vine, and a door when speaking to his followers. Therefore, his statements that the bread and wine are his body and blood, which are the basis of transubstantiation, should not be taken literally. Those who favor another approach to the Eucharist also point out that there is no indication that the early disciples took his words literally or worshiped the communion elements in any way.
Bibliography
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"The Doctrine of Transubstantiation in the Orthodox Church." Ancient Faith Ministries, 14 Aug. 2013, blogs.ancientfaith.com/orthodoxyandheterodoxy/2013/08/14/the-doctrine-of-transubstantiation-in-the-orthodox-church. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Karr, Reid. “Transubstantiation: What Catholicism Teaches About the Supper.” Desiring God, 13 Sept. 2022, www.desiringgod.org/articles/transubstantiation. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
"The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist." New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, www.newadvent.org/cathen/05573a.htm. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Ripley, Francis J. "Transubstantiation for Beginners." Catholic Answers, 1 July 1993, www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/transubstantiation-for-beginners. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Switzer, John. "Why Isn't Transubstantiation in the Creed?" U.S. Catholic, 19 July 2011, www.uscatholic.org/church/2011/07/why-there-no-mention-transubstantiation-creed. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.