GOE

The earliest document that describes the Eucharistic practice and theology of the early church is the Didache. This Greek document dating from the 2nd Century was a teaching document that set forth teachings about many aspects of the Christian faith. It provided instruction on baptism as well as catechumenate formation. Other than scriptural instructions from St. Paul’s letters, it is the earliest surviving document that provides instruction on the Eucharist. It gives specific instructions on the ritualistic nature of the Eucharist from which a theology can be inferred. Thanksgivings were offered on behalf of the community and it included the asking of the Holy Spirit to be present. It also refers to the sacrificial nature of the crucifixion and a connection is made with the actions of the community and the actions of Christ on the cross.

Another early theologian who influenced the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist was St. Augustine of Hippo. Augustine articulated the real presence of Christ and viewed Christ’s Passion as an ongoing event that the people participate in during the Eucharist. He believed that by offering ourselves through the Eucharist we are untied with Christ in his sacrifice on the cross. From these two examples, along with many others, ordained ministry became necessary in that it set people apart form the laity so that they could be the mediators of God’s grace through Christ by way of the eucharist.

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer rejected the belief in the Eucharist as sacrifice. Instead he adopted a more reformed belief in the Eucharist as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Having been an ordained priest in the Roman Catholic Church Cranmer was well versed in the Eucharistic theology of the chu...

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...emembrance died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith and thanksgiving. Clearly this optional addition was added to appease those more Protestant minded people.

The Anglican understanding of the eucharist has been and will continue to be an issue for ecumenical dialogue. As there is no set doctrine that Anglicans are to ascribe to because our unity as Anglicans is not in doctrine but in prayer. Therefore people are free to believe in consubstantiation or transubstantiation or even a purely memorial. This puts us as the middle way between the Protestant and Catholic understandings of the Eucharist. If we decide to align more closely with one understanding then we risk isolating the other side. While unity is our ultimate goal we must carefully consider the implications on ecumenical dialogue should we decide to adopt one understanding over the other.