Abstract
Liturgical practices mirror the doctrine. Changes in form reflect a changed spirituality. In the reformation of the sixteenth century the practice of the distribution of individual consecrated oblates to the kneeling communicant was replaced in the Palatinate by the breaking of a loaf of bread and the distribution of pieces to the congregation who received it standing or sitting. The present article describes how the reformation was initiated and implemented by the elector Frederic III, what the response from Lutheran theologians was, and how the theological defence from the Heidelberg theologians came to be formulated. The main conclusion of our investigation is that it is not easy to determine which elements in the sacrament – in this case: the Lord’s Supper – are essential or accidental (adiaphoron). While the exegetical basis of a chosen form may be inconclusive, motives behind the choice may be such that exclusion of people from the Christian community is effected or individuality underlined. A healthy view of communality and celebration can undergird the doctrine of the Church and the sacrament.
Highlights
The sacramental bread, given to the faithful in the Roman mass, had over the ages received the special form and substance of the communion wafers
It was especially in the Palatinate, birthplace of the Heidelberg Catechism, that this ancient rite became the object of great controversy between the parties leaning towards a more Zwinglian or Lutheran doctrine and corresponding liturgy of the Lord’s Supper
If I may give a characteristic of this refugee-minister it is that a. his writings focus on Christology and the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, addressing the Lutheran politicians and theologians, b. that he did so in a truly ecumenical and appealing way, striving for unity and acceptance among the evangelical movement, and c. that he defended the Elector’s course of a Melanchthonian reformation publicly and wholeheartedly (De Boer 2014a; 2014b)
Summary
The sacramental bread, given to the faithful in the Roman mass, had over the ages received the special form and substance of the communion wafers. Produced by SUN MeDIA Bloemfontein abrogation of the Roman mass, he retained the use of the oblate, to be distributed by the priest to the individual communicants. It was especially in the Palatinate, birthplace of the Heidelberg Catechism, that this ancient rite became the object of great controversy between the parties leaning towards a more Zwinglian or Lutheran doctrine and corresponding liturgy of the Lord’s Supper. More recently the individual cups (“kelkies”) have been introduced at the Lord’s table, defended on grounds of hygiene (Van Wijk 1991) The discussion over such liturgical practices shows that the preferred liturgical form reflects a doctrinal stand or moral attitude. The “breaking of the bread” in the Palatinate exemplifies such liturgical implementation of changing doctrine
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