Liturgical reform in the" breaking of the bread" in the Lord's supper in the palatinate and its resonance in the Heidelberg Catechism
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Date
2014
Authors
De Boer, E.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State
Abstract
English: 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.
Description
Keywords
Liturgical reform, Breaking the bread, The Lord's Supper, Heidelberg Catechism, Palatinate, Lutheran theologicans
Citation
De Boer, E. (2014). Liturgical reform in the" breaking of the bread" in the Lord's supper in the palatinate and its resonance in the Heidelberg Catechism. Acta Theologica: Supplementum 20, 194-210.