‘The Body of Christ is Made From Bread’: Transubstantiation and the Grammar of Creation

Aquinas's theology of Christ's eucharistic presence, often identified by the term ‘transubstantiation’, can best be understood by locating it in relation to the ‘grammar’ of the creator–creature relationship. After a brief overview of Aquinas on creation, the article examines closely Aquinas's analysis of the statement that ‘the body of Christ is made from bread’. This allows us to begin to imagine how Aquinas might respond to one of the most influential contemporary critiques of his sacramental theology: that of Louis‐Marie Chauvet. In addition, such an examination casts new light on Aquinas's doctrine of creation itself.     

Julian of Norwich—Incorporated

The fourteenth-century anchoress Julian of Norwich currently enjoys an immense popularity, both among scholars and among those interested in personal spiritual growth. This essay argues that part of the reason for Julian's popularity is that she is read under the category "mystic," a category constructed to disembed religious thinkers from their traditions so as to give them a universal availability, yet which finally disembodies and depoliticizes them. The essay then offers a reading of Julian's Revelation of Love which shows that Julian's theology is a thoroughly embodied one, highly conscious of and concerned for the body of Christian believers for whom she writes.