Azymes and Epiclesis: Two Medieval Debates About the Eucharist

    Research output: Contribution to Book/Report typesChapterpeer-review

    Abstract (may include machine translation)

    Besides the filioque, probably the most divisive issues between Byzantine and Latin (and also Armenian) Christianity concerned two central aspects of the Eucharistic sacrifice, namely the use of leavened bread instead of unleavened bread (the azymes) in the Eucharist and the role of the invocation of the Holy Spirit (the epiclesis) for the transformation of the gifts. While both sides accepted the real change of the sacrificial bread and the wine into the body and the blood of Christ, the difference in the form of the rite and the respective theologies of these forms lead to contrary interpretations. The problem was first identified by Byzantines in the mid-eleventh century when they started to object to the use of unleavened bread on Christological and salvation-historical grounds. In the other case, the epiclesis, connected to the specific Western theology of transubstantiation, was attributed solely to the words of the priest. The Latin liturgy of the later Middle Ages tied the transformation to the Words of Institution only and not to the power of the descending Spirit that was indispensable for the Byzantines. The differences highlight far-reaching theological consequences for the status of priesthood and ecclesiology, as reflected in the popular handbook Stella clericorum in the West. This contribution addresses the ramifications of the two different theological positions.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationHistorical-Analytical Studies on Nature, Mind and Action
    PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media B.V.
    Pages31-66
    Number of pages36
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 1 Jan 2023

    Publication series

    NameHistorical-Analytical Studies on Nature, Mind and Action
    Volume10
    ISSN (Print)2509-4793
    ISSN (Electronic)2509-4807

    Keywords

    • Azymes
    • Epiclesis
    • Eucharist
    • Leavened bread
    • Nicholas Kabasilas
    • Pasc(h)asius Radbertus
    • Ratramnus
    • Stella clericorum
    • Thomas Aquinas
    • Transubstantiation
    • Unleavened bread

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Azymes and Epiclesis: Two Medieval Debates About the Eucharist'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this