Keywords:
Calvin, Lord’s Supper, Presence of Christ, Reformed views of
sacrament, Calvyn, Nagmaal, Teenwoordigheid van Christus, Gereformeerde
sakramentsbeskouing
Abstract
Calvin’s views on the Lord’s
SupperDuring the Calvin commemoration of 2009, the
question was often asked whether his views on the Lord’s Supper still hold
ecumenical potential for today. A first section deals with the controversial
question where exactly Calvin’s views on the Lord’s Supper should be found and how
it should be described. In an attempt to respond to this question still challenging
contemporary scholarship, a second section attempts to provide an answer in terms of
Calvin’s comprehensive understanding of the presence of Christ. His views regarding
the Supper can only be construed as integral part of his views regarding Christ’s
presence. Five forms of Christ’s presence are distinguished in Calvin’s thought,
namely a living presence, a spiritual presence, a sacramental presence, a
eucharistic presence and an ecclesiological presence. A final section considers the
contemporary ecumenical question whether these views could be appropriated today, in
the light of several serious obstacles.
