Receptionism
Encyclopedia
Receptionism is a Christian theological doctrine that in the Eucharist
service the communicant receives the body and blood of Christ
, but that the bread and wine are not the body and blood of Christ outside the moment of reception.
during the reformation
and appears to have been held by the eminent Anglican theologian Richard Hooker
. According to him, the bread is unchanged at the blessing of the priest
, but becomes an effectual spiritual sign when received by someone in faith.
outside the Mass. Such a practice is rejected as unscriptural by Protestants in any case, but the Roman Catholic Church has rejected this teaching on the grounds that it denies that Jesus would be truly present within the sacred host for an unspecified amount of time. Pope Paul VI notably criticized it in the encyclical Mysterium Fidei
, having claimed to notice a tendency to reject worship outside the Sunday liturgy.
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
service the communicant receives the body and blood of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, but that the bread and wine are not the body and blood of Christ outside the moment of reception.
Church of England
This doctrine originated in the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
during the reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
and appears to have been held by the eminent Anglican theologian Richard Hooker
Richard Hooker
Richard Hooker was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. Hooker's emphases on reason, tolerance and the value of tradition came to exert a lasting influence on the development of the Church of England...
. According to him, the bread is unchanged at the blessing of the priest
Words of Institution
The Words of Institution are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event...
, but becomes an effectual spiritual sign when received by someone in faith.
Problems with eucharistic adoration
A consequence of receptionism is that it makes it theologically impossible to justify practicing a eucharistic adorationEucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church, and in a few Anglican and Lutheran churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful....
outside the Mass. Such a practice is rejected as unscriptural by Protestants in any case, but the Roman Catholic Church has rejected this teaching on the grounds that it denies that Jesus would be truly present within the sacred host for an unspecified amount of time. Pope Paul VI notably criticized it in the encyclical Mysterium Fidei
Mysterium fidei
Mysterium fidei is a Latin phrase which may refer to:*Mysterium Fidei , Encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI on the Eucharist*Mysterium fidei , Latin phrase meaning "mystery of faith"...
, having claimed to notice a tendency to reject worship outside the Sunday liturgy.