Eucharist and Receptive Ecumenism : From Thanksgiving to Communion

Discussions between Christians from different traditions often focus on doctrine, but for many Christians, differences in practice and worship are much more central and important. By looking at the eucharist as thanksgiving, this book bridges Catholic and Protestant practice and theology and shows a new approach to Christian unity.

All doctrinal development and debate occurs against the background of Christian practice and worship. By attending to what Christians have done in the eucharist, Kimberly Belcher provides a new perspective on the history of eucharistic doctrine and Christian divisions today. Stepping back from the metaphysical approaches that divide the churches, she focuses on a phenomenological approach to the eucharist and a retrieval of forgotten elements in Ambrose''s and Augustine''s work. The core of the eucharist is the act of giving thanks to the Father – for the covenant and for the world. This unitive core allows for significant diversity on questions about presence, sacrifice, ecclesiology, and ministry. Belcher shows that the key is humility about what we know and what we do not, which gives us a willingness to receive differences in Christian teachings as gifts that will allow us to move forward in a new way.