A feast of meanings
Subtitle: eucharistic theologies from Jesus through Johannine circles
By: by Bruce Chilton.
Series: Supplements to Novum Testamentum,; v. 72
Publisher: E.J. Brill
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Leiden; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 210
Subjects: Bible. N.T. -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Lord's Supper -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600.
Description: The monograph analyzes eucharistic texts on the basis of the social practices which generated them. Six stages of ideology are identified. Jesus himself practised fellowship at meals as celebrations of Israel's purity (stage 1), and later insisted that a pure meal was a better sacrifice than an offering in the Temple (stage 2). The circle of Peter made such meals into covenantal celebrations; Jesus became a new Moses (stage 3).

In order to militate against the full participation of non-Jews, the circle of James invented the full identifications with Passover (stage 4). Paul resisted any such limitations (stage 5). The Synoptic tradition accepted the Jacobean chronology, but joined Paul in developing the Hellenistic theme of Jesus as heroic martyr, and in explaining eucharist as a means of effecting solidarity with Jesus (stage 5). The Johannine ideologies transformed the idiom of eucharist by making Jesus into the paschal lamb which is consumed (stage 6).

A conclusion relates the practices identified to the sources behind the Gospels, and shows how practice is key to the meanings of eucharistic texts.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [195]-201) and index.