Verified Document

Luther And Zwingli - The Term Paper

The paper will focus on Luther and Zwingli and their views of the Lord's Supper. It will not cover the views of other reformers though they may be mentioned briefly because of their relationships to Luther and Zwingli. The Catholic Church's view of Transubstantiation will not be covered in depth though it must be discussed in relation to the theology of Luther and Zwingli.

Martin Luther

Luther was and is to the Church of the Reformation: the great theologian of the Sacrament of the Altar"

Martin Luther's doctrine of the Lord's Supper was built on his strong belief in the Word of God. As a young man struggling with what today we would call depression, his professor directed him to an extensive study of Scripture. Luther began to study Augustine and the other church fathers, but once Luther moved beyond the writings and commentaries of others to the biblical text, he began to experience difficulty. He could not reconcile the practices of the church (especially in the Mass and the sacraments) with Scripture.

He began to question everything in light of Scripture. Though he still appreciated the writings of church fathers, nothing was more important than the Word of God. As Luther moved deeper into his study, the scriptures...

As he studied the Psalms and the book of Romans, it was as if a light came on for the first time, and he saw what he had not seen before. Perhaps for the first time Luther understood the supremacy of Christ. He was overwhelmed that Christ could understand and share in his sufferings. He found the Christ of the cross, and it moved him to a new concept of Christ not simply as the righteous judge but also as loving Savior.5
Scripture and faith alone changed Luther's understanding of the sacrament of Communion forever. Preaching, writing and debating on the Lord's Supper were now based on Luther's interpretation of the Word and his understanding of the work of Christ.

His newly gained appreciation for the Word would alter his Catholic view of the sacrament and lead him into conflict with other reformers as well. How was this transformation accomplished? How did the Word and his experience of Christ alter his views?

To understand Luther's view of the Lord's Supper and its impact on the Roman Catholic Church and the Reformation,

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Communion Describe the Gender-Specific Relationship Between Men,
Words: 1734 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Communion Describe the gender-specific relationship between men, women and love. How is it different? Why? How does gender socialization contribute to these masculine and feminine roles in relationship to love and relationships in general? In Communion, Hooks discusses a plethora of sometimes conflicting and contradictory gender roles. Women are "prophetesses," "advisors," wives, homemakers, mothers, nurses, nurturers, and teachers. The differences between gender roles in intimate heterosexual relationships can be traced to social

Communion the Problem s at Hand;
Words: 649 Length: 2 Document Type: Seminar Paper

To see the rites joined together as such challenges their understanding of these rites. How the comparative method and/or other methodologies of liturgical inquiry are employed to address the problem; Taft compares the function of the "Angel of Peace Biddings" to the "Inclination Prayer of CHR" as a prayer of conclusion sometimes added to the beginning of communion rites. Taft has limited primary accounts of the precommunion rites and has to rely

Theology of Communion for the Contemporary Catholic Parish
Words: 3103 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

Book Chapter: A Theology of Communion for the Contemporary Catholic Parish Introduction The study of ecclesiology is the study of how the Christian church, the ever-expanding body of believers, has evolved over time to respond to new political and social realities. Ecclesiology also takes into account the way organizational structures, hierarchies, and roles within the church have changed and reflect the nuances of a cultural milieu or historical epoch. In addition to

Comparison of Roman Catholics and the Calvinist in the Eucharist
Words: 3060 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Eucharist in Catholicism and Calvinism Our word "Eucharist" is derived directly from the Greek of the New Testament: etymologically, it derives from the word for grace (charis) with a prefix (eu) meaning "good" or "well," but the original Greek word "eucharistia" means, simply enough, "thanksgiving" -- like our word "thanksgiving" it is a noun that derives originally from an equivalent verb describing the action involved (i.e., the giving of thanks). The

Theology Explain Apophatic Theology and
Words: 1480 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

26). Adherents of apophatic theology subscribe to the belief that instead of intellect, it is far more productive to acquire mystical knowledge as this reflects an awareness of God's innumerable ways of manifesting himself. Describing the central differences between apophatic theology and Western religious philosophy, Lossky states that it involves replacing the Holy Trinity -- the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit -- with the more universal (non-Western) virtues

Miles Fro Tintern Abbey William Wordsworth, Line
Words: 1129 Length: 3 Document Type: Thesis

Miles fro Tintern Abbey William Wordsworth, line 134 "Therefore, moon" end. A lead leads thesis statement WHICH IS THE SANCTUARY OF NATURE IN WILLIAM WORDWORD "S Tintern Abbey main point. "Lines written a Few Miles from Tintern Abbey" by William Wordsworth: The human soul writ into nature William Wordsworth viewed nature as a fruitful subject for poetry because it enabled the poet to engage in intense introspection. In his poem "Lines written

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now