earticle

영어

Christianity is the religion of practice. Even though the elements of the practice and the actual performances vary by cultural and denominational traditions, it is undeniable that Christianity is a system of ought to do. In the face of the crisis of the COVID-19 that results in the hardship of keeping religious practices in the ways that church members have been used to, many churches try to develop new tools for their members' practice of faith. This process is always followed by the division between essential and nonessential. We may ask, "which element should be contained in the new way of worshipping?" In this regard, the writer looks into the Eucharst, one of the most primary Christian ritual. Most Christians, if not all, believe that the Eucharist was enacted by the Lord Christ. However, even the most important ritual has been differently taken by most Christians in theory as well as in practice. This paper skims through the historical debates over the Eucharist. "Why is the special eating special? How is this special as well as non-special piece of bread the body of Christ? What is the actual meaning of eating the body of Christ?" The answers raised by Paschasius Radbertus, Ratramnus Monk of Corbie, Martin Luther, the Council of Trent, Anabaptists, and John Calvin are all different. Radbertus argues that the bread is the historical body of Jesus. Ratramnus argues that the bread is mystical body of Jesus. Luther argues that the special eating performed by the individuals in faith is the authentic way of receiving divine grace. The Council of Trent argues that the special eating offered by the Church is the authentic way of receiving the divine grace. According to Anabaptists, the special eating is helpful for evoking one's own faith. According to Calvin, the special eating is helpful for leading the participants to Christ. Despite all the warring opinions, these arguments reveal Christians' seriousness of practicing their faith. The implicit faith, also supported theoretically by John Zizioulas, is that human beings are realized through the continuos event of communion. Thus, in the crises of Christian practice during the COVID-19, churches should be aware that human beings are always ritual beings regardless of circumstances. It is more important than prioritizing the elements of worship service or sorting out the essential Christian practices in order to adapt the church to the changing situation.