Eucharistic Action in Early Reformed Churches

Abstract

One of the most significant changes in the use of spaces in early Reformed churches was a shift in the main locus of worship from the chancel to the nave, accompanied by a new emphasis on preaching. But the cause of the greatest controversy within the emerging Reformed tradition (as well as between the Reformed and Lutheran Reformations) was undoubtedly the nature of Christ's presence at communion, and a great deal of theological energy was expended on this issue. On the other hand, scant attention seems to have been paid to the way in which the ‘holy mysteries’ of bread and wine were received by the people, even though the moment of reception was likely to be the high point of the eucharistic service for them, the moment when each would enter into communion with Christ. Many reformers—including Bullinger and Calvin—claimed that the mode of reception (whether into the hand first or directly into the mouth) and the posture adopted by the communicant for reception (whether kneeling, standing, or sitting) were matters of indifference—adiaphora—and should be left to each church to decide. This resulted in the development of various forms of eucharistic action within the early Reformed churches, which is the subject of this paper.