Eucharistic Controversy

The Issue

At the Last Supper, Jesus said of the bread, "this is my body" (Matthew 26:26). How these words are understood shapes the meaning of the Lord's Supper.

Four Views

• Transubstantiation: The view that the outward appearance of the bread and wine remains unchanged while their substance is changed into the body and blood of Christ. It is the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church.
• Consubstantiation: The view that the bread and wine remain while the body and blood of Christ are truly present "in, with, and under" them. This is the position of Martin Luther and the Lutheran churches. Lutherans sometimes prefer the expression "sacramental union" to the term "consubstantiation."
• Spiritual presence: The view that, although the body of Christ is in heaven, believers truly commune with Christ in the Lord's Supper through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the position of John Calvin and of the Presbyterian and Reformed churches.
• Memorialism: The view that the Lord's Supper is a rite of remembering and proclaiming Christ's death and that the bread and wine are symbols. It originated with Huldrych Zwingli and is held by Baptists and many evangelical churches. It emphasizes the words "this do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

At the Marburg Colloquy in 1529, Luther and Zwingli reached broad agreement on the other articles but ultimately failed to agree on the Lord's Supper.

The Situation in Korean Churches

Although the official theology of the denominations is divided as described above, some observers note that the actual understanding of church members is often close to memorialism, regardless of denomination. Differences also appear in frequency and practice. Anglicans and Lutherans celebrate the Lord's Supper every Sunday, while Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists generally observe it several times a year or monthly. Many churches use grape juice instead of wine, a practice connected with the Korean church's tradition of abstinence from alcohol (Alcohol and Tobacco). Who may receive the Lord's Supper (only baptized members, or members of other churches as well) also varies by denomination and congregation.