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Catholic Church

Catholic Church

Catholic (literally meaning: according to (kata-) the whole (holos) or more generally "universal" in Greek) is a Christian religious term with a number of meanings:
- The term can refer to the notion that all Christians are part of one Church, regardless of denominational divisions. This "universal" interpretation is often used to understand the phrase "one holy catholic and apostolic Church" in the Nicene Creed, the phrase "the catholic faith" in the Athanasian Creed, and the phrase "holy catholic church" in the Apostles' Creed.
- It can refer to the members, beliefs, and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Though many identify Roman Catholicism exclusively with the Latin Rite, its variety is seen in its more than twenty particular Churches or Rites, all in full communion with the Pope, and also in its liturgical rites, of which the Roman Rite is only one.
- It can be used to refer to those Christian Churches which maintain that their Episcopate can be traced directly back to the Apostles, and that they are therefore part of a broad catholic (or universal) body of believers. Among those who regard themselves as Catholic but not Roman Catholic are members of the various Eastern Orthodox Churches (such as the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox), the Oriental Orthodox, Anglo-Catholics (also known as High Anglicans), the Old, Ancient and Liberal Catholic Churches, and the Lutherans (though the latter prefer the lower-case "c"). The various Churches that regard themselves as part of a broad Catholic Church are distinguished by their use of the Nicene Creed, in which believers acknowledge the "one holy catholic and apostolic Church." The Nicene Creed is of course also used by the Roman Catholic Church.
- It can mean the one Church founded by Christ through Peter the Apostle, according to Matthew 16:18-19: "And I tell you, you are Cephas (which means rock), and on this rock I will build my Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’" Early Christians, such as Saint Ignatius of Antioch (who was martyred in about 110, used the term to describe the whole Church - the word's literal meaning is universal or whole - as opposed to the local Church, and excluding adherents of sects or heretical groups. Methodists and Presbyterians believe their denominations owe their origins to the Apostles and the early Church, but do not claim descent from ancient Church structures such as the episcopate. Neither of these Churches, however, denies that they are a part of the catholic (meaning universal) Church.

Present-day usage

While the term is usually associated with the Roman Catholic Church, whose over one billion adherents are about half of the estimated 2.1 billion Christians, other Christian denominations also lay claim to the term "catholic", including the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Protestant Churches possessing an episcopate (bishops). In countries that have been traditionally Protestant, Catholic will often be included in the official name of a particular parish church, school, hospice or other institution belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, to distinguish it from those of other denominations. For example, the name "St. Mark's Catholic Church" makes it clear that it is not an Episcopal or Lutheran church. This usage of the term "Catholic" has a long history. A millennium before the Protestant Reformation, Saint Augustine wrote: :"In the Catholic Church, there are many other things which most justly keep me in her bosom. The consent of peoples and nations keeps me in the Church; so does her authority, inaugurated by miracles, nourished by hope, enlarged by love, established by age. The succession of priests keeps me, beginning from the very seat of the Apostle Peter, to whom the Lord, after His resurrection, gave it in charge to feed His sheep (Jn 21:15-19), down to the present episcopate. :"And so, lastly, does the very name of Catholic, which, not without reason, amid so many heresies, the Church has thus retained; so that, though all heretics wish to be called Catholics, yet when a stranger asks where the Catholic Church meets, no heretic will venture to point to his own chapel or house. :"Such then in number and importance are the precious ties belonging to the Christian name which keep a believer in the Catholic Church, as it is right they should ... With you, where there is none of these things to attract or keep me... No one shall move me from the faith which binds my mind with ties so many and so strong to the Christian religion... For my part, I should not believe the gospel except as moved by the authority of the Catholic Church." : — St. Augustine (AD 354–430): Against the Epistle of Manichaeus called Fundamental, chapter 4: Proofs of the Catholic Faith[http://www.ccel.org/pager.cgi?&file=fathers/NPNF1-04/augustine/bk_fundamental/bk1.html&from=CHAP4&up=] Earlier still, St Cyril of Jerusalem (circa 315-386) urged those he was instructing in the Christian faith: "If ever thou art sojourning in cities, inquire not simply where the Lord's House is (for the other sects of the profane also attempt to call their own dens houses of the Lord), nor merely where the Church is, but where is the Catholic Church. For this is the peculiar name of this Holy Church, the mother of us all, which is the spouse of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God" (Catechetical Lectures, XVIII, 26).[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310118.htm] Those who apply the term "Catholic Church" to all Christians indiscriminately find it objectionable that a term that they see as designating the whole Church as an invisible entity should be used to refer to one communion only. However, the Roman Catholic Church, which normally refers to itself simply as the Catholic Church, publishing in 1992 a "Catechism of the Catholic Church", can basically be traced historically to the original Catholic or universal Church, from which various groups broke away over the centuries. It holds that there can be no such thing as the Church as an "invisible entity" only. Since the Reformation in the sixteenth century, Protestants (those who protest) have sought to restore a more primitive expression of the Church, with goals and beliefs that they believe to be more consonant with the early Church, based primarily on Scriptural texts. However, there was a more than a millennium between the "early Church" and the "Reformation", during which both Scripture and Christian teaching were maintained. As well as the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Oriental Orthodox Churches all see themselves as the "one holy catholic and apostolic Church" of the Nicene Creed. Others too who do not recognize the primacy of the Bishop of Rome and rank him only as an equal among Patriarchs, such as the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch, use the term Catholic to distinguish their own position from a Calvinist or Puritan form of Protestantism. They include "High Church" Anglicans, known also as "Anglo-Catholics". Although the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches in general do not view the Anglican Churches as truly "Catholic", Anglicans themselves claim to have all the qualifications needed to be Catholic.

Catholic Epistles

"Catholic Epistles" is another term for the General Epistles of the Christian New Testament in the Bible, which were addressed not to a particular city but to all in general. It is thus, strictly speaking, not an ecclesiastical term, being employed in the original broad sense of the Greek word from which "catholic" is derived. The epistles in question are [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.htm#james James]; [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.htm#1peter First] and [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.htm#2peter Second Peter]; [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.htm#1john First], [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/2john/2john.htm Second], and [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/3john/3john.htm Third John]and [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/jude/jude.htm Jude].

Capitalization

Capitalization is no sure guide to denominational affiliation. It may indicate formal affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church or it may not. Capitalization may merely indicate a wish to stress the holy and solemn nature of the spiritual body of believers and a desire for all Christians to be one. It would be anachronistic to attribute significance to capitalization or lack of capitalization in printings of texts dating from before the last few centuries or in translations of those texts, since the originals were written in unmixed majuscule or minuscule letters. Translations even of modern texts into English often follow the usage of the original language. For instance, since French normally capitalizes only the first word of the title of an entity, the adjective "catholique", following the noun "Église", has a lower-case initial. Texts in Latin generally follow this usage, not the English practice.

Avoidance of usage

Some Protestant Christian Churches avoid using the term completely. The Orthodox Churches share some of the concerns about Roman Catholic claims, but disagree with Protestants about the nature of the Church as one body. For some, to use the word "Catholic" at all is to appear to give credence to papal claims.

External links

- [http://www.vatican.va The Holy See] the official Vatican web site
- [http://www.catholicfiles.com/ Catholic Files] free Catholic downloads
- [http://www.catholic.com Catholic Answers] Catholics Answers
- [http://www.thecatholicguide.com TheCatholic Guide] The Catholic Guide
- [http://www.catholicity.com CatholiCity] free catholic CDs and books
- [http://catholicapologeticsofamerica.blogspot.com Catholic Apologetics of America]
- [http://www.catholicexchange.com/ Catholic Exchange] non-profit charity
- [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ Catholic Encyclopedia]
- [http://www.newadvent.org/summa/ Summa Theologica]
- [http://www.fisheaters.com Fish Eaters: The Whys and Hows of Traditional Catholicism]
- [http://www.malach.org Polish Catholic service Malach - service of Głogów city]
- [http://www.scripturecatholic.com/ Scripture Catholic; Defending Roman Catholicism with its Sacred Scriptures]
- [http://www.mycatholic.com myCatholic.com] — A customizable Catholic web portal.
- [http://www.americancatholic.org/UpdateYourFaith/default.asp Catholic Church FAQs from American Catholic]
- [http://www.stblogsparish.com/bloglist.html Catholic Blogs & Resources] Category:Roman Catholic Church Category:Christianity Category:Anglicanism ko:카톨릭 ja:カトリック教会

Greek language

Greek (Greek Ελληνικά, IPA – "Hellenic") is an Indo-European language with a documented history of 3,500 years. Today, it is spoken by 15 million people in Greece, Cyprus, the former Yugoslavia, particularly The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania and Turkey. There are also many Greek emigrant communities around the world, such as those in Melbourne, Australia which is the third-largest Greek-populated city in the world, after Athens and Thessaloniki. Greek has been written in the Greek alphabet, the first true alphabet, since the 9th century B.C. and before that, in Linear B and the Cypriot syllabaries. Greek literature has a long and rich tradition.

History

This article does not cover the reconstructed history of Greek prior to the use of writing. For more information, see main article on Proto-Greek language. Greek has been spoken in the Balkan Peninsula since the 2nd millennium BC. The earliest evidence of this is found in the Linear B tablets dating from 1500 BC. The later Greek alphabet (q.v.) is unrelated to Linear B, and was derived from the Phoenician alphabet (abjad); with minor modifications, it is still used today. Greek is conventionally divided into the following periods:
- Mycenean Greek: the language of the Mycenean civilisation. It is recorded in the Linear B script on tablets dating from the 16th century BC onwards.
- Classical Greek (also known as Ancient Greek): In its various dialects was the language of the Archaic and Classical periods of Greek civilisation. It was widely known throughout the Roman empire. Classical Greek fell into disuse in western Europe in the Middle Ages, but remained known in the Byzantine world, and was reintroduced to the rest of Europe with the Fall of Constantinople and Greek migration to Italy.
- Hellenistic Greek (also known as Koine Greek): The fusion of various ancient Greek dialects with Attic (the dialect of Athens) resulted in the creation of the first common Greek dialect, which gradually turned into one of the world's first international languages. Koine Greek can be initially traced within the armies and conquered territories of Alexander the Great, but after the Hellenistic colonisation of the known world, it was spoken from Egypt to the fringes of India. After the Roman conquest of Greece, an unofficial diglossy of Greek and Latin was established in the city of Rome and Koine Greek became a first or second language in the Roman Empire. Through Koine Greek it is also traced the origin of Christianity, as the Apostles used it to preach in Greece and the Greek-speaking world. It is also known as the Alexandrian dialect, Post-Classical Greek or even New Testament Greek (after its most famous work of literature).
- Medieval Greek: The continuation of Hellenistic Greek during medieval Greek history as the official and vernacular (if not the literary nor the ecclesiastic) language of the Byzantine Empire, and continued to be used until, and after the fall of that Empire in the 15th century. Also known as Byzantine Greek.
- Modern Greek: Stemming independently from Koine Greek, Modern Greek usages can be traced in the late Byzantine period (as early as 11th century). Two main forms of the language have been in use since the end of the medieval Greek period: Dhimotikí (Δημοτική), the Demotic (vernacular) language, and Katharévousa (Καθαρεύουσα), an imitation of classical Greek, which was used for literary, juridic, and scientific purposes during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Demotic Greek is now the official language of the modern Greek state, and the most widely spoken by Greeks today. It has been claimed that an "educated" speaker of the modern language can understand an ancient text, but this is surely as much a function of education as of the similarity of the languages. Still, Koinē , the version of Greek used to write the New Testament and the Septuagint, is relatively easy to understand for modern speakers. Greek words have been widely borrowed into the European languages: astronomy, democracy, philosophy, thespian, etc. Moreover, Greek words and word elements continue to be productive as a basis for coinages: anthropology, photography, isomer, biomechanics etc. and form, with Latin words, the foundation of international scientific and technical vocabulary. See English words of Greek origin, and List of Greek words with English derivatives.

Classification

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European language family. The ancient languages which were probably most closely related to it, Ancient Macedonian language (which may be regarded as a dialect of Greek) and Phrygian, are not well enough documented to permit detailed comparison. Among living languages, Armenian seems to be the most closely related to it.

Geographic distribution

Modern Greek is spoken by about 15 million people mainly in Greece and Cyprus. There are also Greek-speaking populations in Georgia, Ukraine, Egypt, Turkey, Albania, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Southern Italy. The language is spoken also in many other countries where Greeks have settled, including Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Official status

Greek is the official language of Greece where it is spoken by about 99.5% of the population. It is also, alongside Turkish, the official language of Cyprus. Due to the membership of Greece and Cyprus, Greek is one of the 20 official languages of the European Union.

Phonology

This section generally describes the post-Classic phonology of the Greek language. :All phonetic transcriptions in this section use the International Phonetic Alphabet

Vowel sounds

Greek has 5 vowel sounds, all phonemic:

Christian

:This article is about the religious people known as Christians; for the 1980s British music group, see The Christians.
For other uses of the term Christian, see Christian (disambiguation). As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation "Christ", which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. The first known usage of this term can be found in the New Testament of the Bible, in Acts 11:26. The term was first used to derogate those known or perceived to be disciples of Christ. As an adjective, the term may describe an object associated with Christianity. For many this also means to be a member or adherent of one of the organized religious denominations of Christianity. The term Christian means "belonging to Christ" and is derived from the Greek noun Χριστός Khristós which means "anointed one," which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written "Messiah"), (and in Arabic it is pronounced Maseeh مسيح). According to the New Testament, those who followed Jesus as his disciples were first called Christians by those who did not share their faith, in the city of Antioch. Xian or Xtian is another word used to describe Christians and is similar to using Xmas in place of Christmas; the X or Xt used as a contraction for "Christ" ("X" resembles the Greek letter Χ (Chi), the first letter of "Christ" in Greek (Χριστός [Christos]). The term "Christian" is used by various groups with diverse beliefs to describe themselves. Some groups, such as Born Again Christians and others, use a very strict definition of "Christian". They believe to be Christian one must agree and follow the doctrines set forth in the Bible alone. Many Christians are grouped into ecclesial communities called denominations which are separated by certain aspects of their respective beliefs and theologies. The liturgical denominations, including Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, Roman and Eastern Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism, along with many constituent components of the reformed traditions of Presbyterianism, Methodism, Moravianism, et al., teach that the title Christian is honorificly bestowed upon those who have received the sacrament of Baptism, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Most of these groups advocate infant baptism, or paedobaptist (beside that of adult converts). Others who refer to themselves as Christian only require that one believes that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died, and that he was resurrected from the dead, to claim the term Christian. Yet other Christian denominations require a formal commitment to become a member such as baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, such as with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Baptism for the LDS church is done once an individual has achieved an age of accountability, held to be the age of eight years, or when an individual joins the church as a convert. Other denominations (The Church of Christ, International Churches of Christ, and the Independent Christian Churches) teach that the definition of a Christian is someone who has been baptized as a repenting adult “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”– (Matthew 28:19). For them, adult baptism is the transition from non-Christian to Christian. These varying definitions arise from different biblical interpretations and differences regarding the authority of scripture in context with tradition. A small but significant minority of ecclesiastical groups are often referred to as Christian by non-Christians, whose creeds consider Jesus to be theologically significant but not God. Movements along these lines include Jehovah's Witnesses.

History

Early times

Church is taken by some to refer to a single, universal community, although others contend that the doctrine of the universal church was not established until later. The doctrine of the universal, visible church was made explicit in the Apostles' Creed, while the less common Protestant notion of the universal, invisible church is not laid out explicitly until the Reformation. The universal church traditions generally espouse that the Church includes all who are baptized into her common faith, including the doctrines of the trinity, forgiveness of sins through the sacrificial action of Christ, and the resurrection of the body. These teachings are expressed in liturgy with the celebration of sacraments, visible signs of grace. They are passed down as the deposit of faith. Some minority traditions of Christianity have maintained that the word translated "church" in scripture most often properly refers to local bodies or assemblies. "Church" is a derivitive of the Late Greek word "κυριακον", meaning Lord's house, which in English became "church". The Koine word for church is εκκλησία (ecclesia). Before Christian appropriation of the term, it was used to describe purposeful gatherings, including the assemblies of many Greek city states. Christians of this stripe maintain that a centralizing impulse in the church, present from the early days of the church through the rise of Constantine, represented a departure from true Christianity. They therefore reject the authority of the Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed.

The First Millennium

Christian spirituality blossomed in the Roman Empire between A.D. 100 and 300 in spite of official efforts to suppress it. Sometime around A.D. 200, one leader, Tertullian, is quoted as saying, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed [of the Church]” to account for this phenomenon. In A.D. 313, the "Edict of Milan" ended official persecution, and under the Emperor Constantine, Christians acquired powerful political influence, the results of which are controversial to this day. Christians developed hierarchical structures to lead the visible Church over the course of many centuries. The leaders of their clergy From the early formation of the Church until the Great Schism in 1054 AD, virtually all Christians subsisted within one Church as one visible organization, led locally by bishops, and regionally by patriarchs. However, minor divisions occurred over differences in doctrine as early as the Council of Chalcedon, and continued through the progression of ecumenical councils.

Medieval times

In Medieval Europe, the Roman Catholic Church was at its peak of Apostolic flourishment and spirituality. Not only was the Church and its organizations extremely devoted to Christianity, piously spreading the word of God through missionaries and established monastaries in many countries but through its dominant spiritual influence that eventually rivalled the political power of most Monarchs for support of the population. The majority of people of this age devoted their lives to God and it showed by the donations of land, money, and possesions to the church. In time, this made the Pope an important figure in the life of the continent. This wealth often expressed itself in the building of beautiful cathedrals which showed their great devotion and adoration to God. The Church's monasteries were seats of learning and study which evolved into modern universities. They also provided the first hospitals for the care of the sick.

Modern times

The history of the Christian faith in modern times must be studied movement by movement, such is its diversity. In the West, the Protestant Reformation profoundly conditioned the relationship between church and state, thus bringing to Christianity the idea of self-interpretation and the denouncement of visible unity. Intellectual pressure from the Enlightenment led to a religious reaction in the North American colonies — called the Great Awakening — to which Protestant North American Christians owe much of their pattern of practice. Widespread Christian missions, founded by all segments of Christianity in response to the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20, have created today's situation in which Christians are to be found in almost every part of the world. Some Christians devote themselves to active participation in prophetic communication and miraculous healing, as represented in the early church and the pre-Christ prophets. They are categorized as Charismatic or Pentecostal, but can be found in all denominations. Other movements within contemporary Christendom include the emergent church, fundamentalism, return to orthodoxy, messianic Judaism, liberalism, and the home church movement. Certain Christians attempt to obey only God and reject other authorities such as the church or state, believing this to be the true teaching of Jesus. They promote nonviolence and are known as Christian anarchists. Famous author Leo Tolstoy was a notable Christian anarchist, and wrote The Kingdom of God is Within You [http://www.kingdomnow.org/withinyou.html] in 1894 to explain his beliefs. The life of a Christian is still characterized by faith in the figure of Jesus as represented in the New Testament. Sacraments aside, the concept of grace is still uniquely Christian: the idea, or as some call it a mystery, that spiritual wholeness comes only as a result of a gift.

External links

- [http://www.christianopendirectory.com Christian Open Directory]
- [http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-a-Christian.html What is a Christian?] (This refers only to the evangelical view of Christianity and may be interpreted by some as being anti-catholic.)
- [http://a4.nu/christian/index.htm Christian Resources - The real teachings of Jesus]
- [http://apostolic-anc.org/cgi-bin/getPageV3.php?id=2 More information about being a Christian]
- [http://www.geocities.com/hashanayobel/christwrit/varauthors.htm Christian authors]
- [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03712a.htm Christianity], as defined by the Roman Catholic Church
- [http://www.topchretien.com Christianity in French World] Category:Christianity ja:クリスチャン simple:Christian

ChristianIty

Christianity

Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed (Latin: Symbolum Nicenum), Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed or Icon/Symbol of the Faith, is the most widespread Christian statement of faith. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is the most widely accepted creed in the Christian church, it is up to present time in use in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Coptic, Nestorian, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and most Protestant churches.

Nomenclature

There are several designations for the two Nicene creeds and several of them do have overlapping meanings:
- Nicene creed can refer to the original version adopted at the First Council of Nicaea (325), to the revised version adopted by the First Council of Constantinople (381) and to later Western versions that include the filioque clause.
- Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed can stand for the revised version of Constantinople 381 and later Western versions that include the filioque clause. .
- Icon/Symbol of the Faith is the usual designation for the revised version of Constantinople 381 in the Orthodox churches, where this is the only creed used in liturgy.
- Profession of Faith of the 318 Fathers refers specifically to the version of Nicea 325 (traditionally, 318 bishops took part at the First Council of Nicea).
- Profession of Faith of the 150 Fathers refers specifically to the version of Constantinople 381 (traditionally, 150 bishops took part at the First Council of Constantinoples)

History

The purpose of a Christian creed was to establish conformity of belief, uniquely essential for Christians, and by public professions of the faith, to identify heretics or any disconformity within each community. The Creed is an epitome, not a full definition, of what is required for personal orthodoxy. It was hoped that by memorizing this summary of the faith, lay people without extensive theological training would still be able to recognize deviations from orthodox Christianity. The Nicene Creed, both in its original and revised formulas, is an implicit condemnation of specific alleged errors. Thus, as different variations in Christian belief evolved in the 4th century and were perceived as threats, new phrases were seen to be needed, like amendments to a constitution. Just as one can perceive the historical developments of a constitutional society through amendments to its constitution, a careful and knowledgeable reader can identify the particular theological developments in the other kind of society that enforces a creed.

The original Nicene Creed of 325

The original Nicene Creed was first adopted in 325 at the First Council of Nicaea, which was the Ecumenical Council. At that time, the text ended after the words "We believe in the Holy Spirit." The Coptic Church has the tradition, that the original creed was authored by Athanasius. F.J.A. Hort and Adolf Harnack argued that the Nicene creed was the local creed of Caesarea brought to the council by Eusebius of Caesarea. J.N.D. Kelly sees as its basis a baptismal creed of the Syro-Phoenician family, related to but not dependent of the creed cited by Cyril of Jerusalem and to the creed of Eusebius. Soon after the Council of Nicaea, new formulas of faith were composed, most of them variations of the Nicene Symbol, to counter new phases of Arianism. The Catholic Encyclopedia identifies at least four before the Council of Sardica (341), where a new form was presented and inserted in the Acts of the Council, though it was not agreed on.

The Nicene Creed of 381

The second Ecumenical Council in 381 added the remainder of the text except for the words "and the son"; this is the version still used by Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches today. The third Ecumenical Council reaffirmed the 381 version, and stated that no further changes could be made to it, nor could other creeds be adopted.

Amendments

The original Nicene Creed adopted at the Council of Nicaea in 325 ended just after the words, "We believe in the Holy Spirit..." The section from that point forward was added at the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381; hence the name "Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed", which refers to the Creed as it was following the modification in Constantinople. The Third Ecumenical Council reaffirmed the creed in this form and explicitly forbade making additional revisions to it.

The filioque controversy

The Roman Catholic church added the words "and the Son" (the filioque clause) to the description of the Holy Spirit, in what many have argued is a violation of the Canons of the Third Ecumenical Council. Those words were not included by the Council of Nicaea nor of Constantinople, and most Eastern Orthodox theologians consider their inclusion to be a heresy. The Anglican Communion's current consensus position is "recommending to the provinces of the Anglican Communion that in future liturgical revisions the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed be printed without the Filioque clause." [http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/archive/1988/1988-6.htm (1988 Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops, Resolution 6.5)] The phrase "and the son" (filioque in Latin) was first used in Toledo, Spain in 587 with the purpose of countering the Arian Christian faith of the Visigothic nobility of Spain. The practice spread then to France, a stronghold of Arianism where it was repudiated at the Gentilly Council in 767. Emperor Charlemagne called for a council at Aix-la-Chapelle in 809 at which Pope Leo III forbade the use of the filioque clause and ordered that the Nicene creed be engraved on silver tablets so that his conclusion may not be overturned in the future. The dispute over the filioque clause was one of the reasons for the East-West Schism. The clause had been adopted in the west although the Third Ecumenical Council (431) had prohibited to individuals the promulgation of any other creed. The manner of the clause's adoption was therefore controversial and in the 10th century the Photius, Patriach of Constantinople, used this clause in his conflict with the Pope. He accused the West of having fallen into heresy and thereby turned the filioque clause into the doctrinal issue of contention between East and West. In Rome, the filioque clause first appeared in 1014 in the coronation liturgy of Emperor Henry II by Pope Benedict VIII and was officially added to the Latin creed in 1274 by the Second Council of Lyons, which effected a short-lived reunion between East and West.

Modern usage

To the majority of modern evangelical Christian scholarship, the Nicene Creed is regarded as a prerequisite for Christian faith, and that the Creed is quintessentially Christian. In this traditional belief, all proper Christians affirm the Nicene Creed, and the Nicene Creed is affirmed by all proper Christians. One can also refer to Matthew D. O’Rear’s work on the Nicene Creed; O'Rear is one of the leading scholars on the formation and the modern uses of the Creed. The Nicene Creed is referred to by Roman Catholics and Orthodox as the "symbol of faith", and its recitation is often part of Christian worship services. In the Catholic Mass, it is also referred to as the "Profession of Faith".

Controversy of Christian definition

Some religious denominations adhere to Christian scripture and identify themselves emphatically as Christians, but reject the Nicene Creed as an error or a misinterpretation, and also reject the more recent Lausanne Covenant that affirms the Creed. As a result, many other Christians regard these denominations as not being Christian at all. Such denominations include Oneness Pentecostals, Arianism, Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witnesses. In modern interfaith relations, there have been many heated clashes between Nicene and non-Nicene sectarians over the definition of Christianity, and of what constitutes a Christian. In some countries (such as the United States), this has led to litigation with charges and counter-charges over this very theological issue, involving allegations as wide-ranging as slander, perjury, discrimination, and breach of contract. In ancient times, these issues were largely set aside by the annihilation of the contemporary Arianist sect. In modern times, relations between evangelists of Nicene and newer non-Nicene sects are generally cold, and at times outwardly hostile as well.

Text

Comparison between creed of 325 and creed of 381

Often the Creed of 381 is regarded as a simple extension of the creed of 325 - in an exact comparison, there are, though, some omissions (~~omission~~) and additions (addition) which are difficult to explain, if a direct relation is supposed. Additionally, there are in Greek several insignificant changes in the position of words, which do not alter the meaning. (Translation from Kelly, Early Christian Creeds) :We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty :Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. :And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, :the Son of God, eternally begotten from the father, ~~only-begotten, that is, from the substance of the father,~~ :~~God from God~~, Light from Light, true God from true God, :begotten not made, one in Being with the Father. :through whom all things came into being, ~~things in heaven and things on earth.~~ :Who because of us men and because of our salvation came down from the heaven and became incarnate :by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, becoming man. :For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; :suffered, died, and was buried. :On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures || :he ascended to the heavens and is seated at the right hand of the Father. :He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, :And his kingdom will have no end :And in the Holy Spirit. the Lord, the Giver of Life, :Who proceeds from the Father :With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified :He has spoken through the Prophets. :We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church :We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. :We look for the resurrection of the dead, :and the life of the world to come. :But as for those who say, There was when He was not, and Before being born He was not, and that He came into existence out of nothing or who assert that the Son of God is of a different hypostasis or substance, or is subject to alteration or change - those the Catholic and apostolic Church anathematizes.

Greek version

In the texts below, the amended sections, adopted in 381, have been identified thus in order to give them prominence. In the section that follows the texts, each amendment will be discussed in cont The original creed was written in Greek, the language of the eastern Mediterranean where both councils were seated. The most accepted Greek text from 325 is plural, beginning with Πιστεύομεν. The most generally accepted Greek text from 381 is in the singular, beginning with Πιστεύω. Therefore, the revision from "we believe" to "I believe" may have been intentional on the part of the second Ecumenical Council. :Πιστεύομεν εις ένα Θεόν, Πατέρα, Παντοκράτορα, :ποιητήν ουρανού και γης, ορατόν τε πάντων και αοράτων. :Και εις ένα Κύριον Ιησούν Χριστόν, :τον Υιόν του Θεου τον μονογενή, τον εκ του Πατρός γεννηθέντα προ πάντων τον αιώνων· φως εκ φωτός, :Θεόν αληθινόν εκ Θεου αληθινού, γεννηθέντα οι ποιηθέντα, ομοούσιον το Πατρί, :δι' ου το πάντα εγένετο. :Τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ σαρκωθέντα :ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα. :Σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ παθόντα καὶ ταφέντα. :Καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρα κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς. :Καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ καθεζόμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός. :Καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος. :Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον, τὸ ζωοποιόν, :τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον, :τὸ σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον, :τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν. :Εἰς μίαν, Ἁγίαν, Καθολικὴν καὶ Ἀποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. :Ὁμολογῶ ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. :Προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν. :Καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Ἀμήν. In addition, the Nicene version ended with an anathema that was deleted in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan version: Most modern scholarly opinion believes that μονογενή means "only" or "unique" coming from μονο — "mono" meaning "only" and γενή coming from γενος "genus" meaning kind - "only one of its kind", thus the translation "only Son" in the above modern translation of the creed. One possible mistake at this point is to translate "genus" according to its Latin meaning. In Greek, however, "genos" (γένος) may mean offspring, a limited or extended family, a clan, a tribe, a people, a biological entity (e.g. all the birds), or indeed any group of beings sharing a common ancestry. Therefore its meaning can vary from the very narrow to the very broad. A telling example of Greek usage of the word "genos" would be "Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, to genos Bouvier" (i.e. née Bouvier). Older English translations as well as the Latin contain "only-begotten", "unigenitum" on the belief that γενή comes from the word for γενναω "born". On the other hand Old Latin manuscripts of the New Testament translate μονογενή as "unicus", "unique". No doubt debate will continue as to the author's intentions both in the New Testament, as well as the separate issue of the intended meaning in the creeds. A considerable part of this confusion is due to the similarity of the key Greek verbs "gennao" and "gignomai". "Γεννάω" (gennao) means "to give birth" and refers to the male parent. The female equivalent is "τίκτω" (tikto), from which derive the obstetric terms "tokos', labor, and "toketos", delivery, and words such as "Theo-tokos", Mother of God, and the proparoxytone "prototokos", firstborn, as opposed to the paroxytone "prototokos", primipara (one giving birth for the first time). Γίγνομαι (gignomai) means "to come into existence". The etymological roots of the two verbs are, respectively, "genn-" and "gen-", and therefore the derivatives of these two verbs exhibit significant auditory and semantic overlap. Auditorily speaking, while the ancient Greeks pronounced double consonants differently from single ones (example: the double N was pronounced as in the English word "unknown"), by Roman times this had become the same as pronunciation of single consonants (example: the double N was then pronounced as in the English word "penny"). Semantically speaking, the Greek word for "parent" can derive both from "gennao" (γεννήτωρ, gennetor, strictly applicable only to the male parent) and from "gignomai" (γονεύς, goneus, which applies to both parents). In ancient and modern Greek usage however, the word "monogenes" invariably refers to a son without other brothers, or a daughter without other sisters, or a child without other siblings. In this context, both "only-begotten" and "only one of its kind" are equally valid translations. Furthermore, the word "monogennetos" (a father's only son) and "monotokos" (a mother's only child) do not exist, while "monotokos" means a female who can only have one offspring at a time. Of course any -tokos derivative would be out of the question in this case, as the Nicene Creed seeks to clarify the parentage of God the Son in relation to God the Father. The Greek word ομοούσιον indicates in orthodox theology that The Father and the Son are "cosubstantial", "of the same substance" or "of the same essence", because the Son is begotten of the Father’s own being (εκ της ουσιας του πατρος)

Latin version

:Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, :factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium. :Et in unum Dominum Iesum Christum, :Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. :Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, :genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri; :per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis. :Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est. :Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est, :et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas, :et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris. :Et iterum venturus est cum gloria, iudicare vivos et mortuos, :cuius regni non erit finis. :Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, :qui ex Patre (Filioque) procedit. :Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur: :qui locutus est per prophetas. :Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. :Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. :Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum, :et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.

English versions

Note that the modern version is in the plural like the Nicene version, although it is otherwise the Nicene-Constantinopolitan text, the Church changed it to first-person singular. In the west, this change was reversed, but Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians did not make this second change.

Traditional (from Book of Common Prayer)

:I believe in one God, the Father Almighty :Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible: :And in one Lord Jesus Christ, :the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; :God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; :begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, :by Whom all things were made: :Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven, and became man. :and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man: :And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried: :And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures: :And ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father: :And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead: :Whose Kingdom will have no end: :And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life, :Who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son] :Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, :Who spake by the Prophets. :And I believe in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, :I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. :And I look for the Resurrection of the Dead: :And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

More recent version

:We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty :Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. :We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, :the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, :God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, :begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. :Through him all things were made. :For us (men)¹ and for our salvation he came down from heaven: :by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. :For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. :On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures :he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. :He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, :And his kingdom will have no end :We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, :Who proceeds from the Father (and the Son) :With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified :He has spoken through the Prophets. :We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church :We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. :We look for the resurrection of the dead, :and the life of the world to come. Amen. ¹In the 1990s, many Dioceses began omitting "Men" from the phrase "for us men and for our salvation".

A contemporary translation

Prepared by the International Consultation on English Texts, this version is used by many mainline communions in the US and other English-speaking countries. :We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, :maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. :We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, :the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, :God from God, light from light, true God from true God, :begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. :For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, :by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary and became truly human. :For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; :he suffered, died and was buried. :On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; :he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. :He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, :and his kingdom will have no end. :We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, :who proceeds from the Father and the Son. :Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. :Who has spoken through the prophets. :We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. :We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. :We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Modern gender-neutrality

Some Christian communions, in particular the World Council of Churches and the Presbyterian Church (USA), omit the word "men", and others substitute the word "all" , in the line "for us men and for our salvation..." This is considered a more gender-neutral translation of nos homines ("we men"). The frequency of usage of this variation is, however, unknown. "Homo" in Latin, however, means "human being" more than "man" — Latin "vir" means "man". However, later in Latin this changed, with "homo" meaning "man". Interestingly enough, the same is true of English. In Old English, "man" meant "human being", with "wer-man" and "wîf-man" meaning "man" and "woman" respectively. Old English "wer" is directly cognate with Latin "vir". Thus, modern gender neutrality here may be more historically and etymologically correct, interestingly enough, because the matter does not even arise in the original Greek: there the word "anthropoi" (humans or human beings) is used, as opposed to "andres" (men), or "gynaikes" (women). The issue is therefore limited only to certain ways of translating the original Greek into various languages, as the original itself has always been gender-neutral.

Bibliography

- A E Burn, The Council of Nicaea (1925);
- G Forell, Understanding the Nicene Creed (1965)
- J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds, (1982), ISBN 058249219X

External links

- [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/nicea1.txt A more extensive edition and discussion of the text of the council]
- [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds2.iv.i.ii.xml Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. (history)]
- [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds1.iv.xml Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. (text comparisons)]
- [http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-04/Npnf2-04-54.htm Athanasius, De Decretis or Defence of the Nicene Definition] ja:ニカイア・コンスタンティノポリス信条 ms:Pengakuan Iman Nicea zh-cn:尼西亞信經 Category:Ancient Roman Christianity category:Christian Confessions, Creeds and Statements Category:Christian prayer Category:Christianity Category:Structure of the Mass

Apostles' Creed

The Apostles' Creed (in Latin, Symbolum (Credo) Apostolicum), is an early statement of Christian belief, possibly from the first or second century, but more likely post-Nicene Creed in the early 4th Century AD. The theological specifics of the creed appear to be a refutation of Gnosticism, an early heresy. The Apostles' Creed is widely used by a number of Christian denominations for both liturgical and catechetical purposes, most visibly by liturgical churches of Western tradition, including Roman (Latin-rite) Catholic churches, Lutheran churches, member churches of the Anglican Communion, and Western Orthodox denominations. Although many Lutheran sources label the Apostles' Creed as "ecumenical", its use appears to be restricted to churches whose rituals are derived of the Latin rite. The Apostles' Creed holds a special place in Roman Catholic tradition as the "ancient Baptismal symbol of the Church of Rome".

Text of the Creed

Source: :Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae, :et in Iesum Christum, Filium Eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos. :Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. :Amen

Ecumenical Translation into English (ICET/ELLC)

The following translation is believed to be prevalent in those denominations which have adopted modern English liturgical translations. It was authored by a consultation of Catholic and Protestant ecclesiastical communities. See first source for details. Sources: ; :I believe in God, the Father almighty, :creator of heaven and earth. :I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord. :He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit :and born of the Virgin Mary. :He suffered under Pontius Pilate, :was crucified, died, and was buried. :He descended into hell. :On the third day he rose again. :He ascended into heaven, :and is seated at the right hand of the Father. :He will come again to judge the living and the dead. :I believe in the Holy Spirit, :the holy catholic Church, :the communion of saints, :the forgiveness of sins, :the resurrection of the body, :and the life everlasting. Amen.

Variations in Liturgical Use

Translation of inferos

: The word inferos is translated in some denominational contexts as dead, as in "He descended to the dead." See The Harrowing of Hell for a more detailed discussion of this part of the creed.

Methodism

The United Methodists commonly incorporate the Apostles' Creed into their worship services. Many favor this interpretation as poetically elegant. The version used is #881 of the United Methodist Hymnal, one of the most popular hymnals and one with a heritage to John Wesley, founder of Methodism.[http://catalystresources.org/issues/272yee.html][http://catalystresources.org/issues/312knight.html] :I believe in God the Father Almighty, :maker of heaven and earth; :And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: :who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, :born of the Virgin Mary, :suffered under Pontius Pilate, :was crucified, dead, and buried; :the third day he rose from the dead; :he ascended into heaven, :and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; :from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. :I believe in the Holy Spirit, :the holy catholic church, :the communion of saints, :the forgiveness of sins, :the resurrection of the body, :and the life everlasting. Amen.

Rites of Baptism in Western Liturgical Christianity

The liturgical communities in western Christianity which derive their rituals from the Roman Missal, including those particular communities which use the Roman Missal itself (Roman Catholics), the Book of Common Prayer (Anglicans / Episcopalians), the Lutheran Book of Worship (Evangelical Lutherans), Lutheran Worship (Missouri-Synod Lutherans), and many other derivatives of the Roman Missal in English and many other languages, use the Apostles' Creed and interrogative variations of it within their similar rites of Baptism, considered by all of these communities to be the first sacrament of initiation into the Church.

Episcopal Church (USA)

The Episcopal Church uses the Apostles' Creed as a Baptismal Covenant for those who are to receive the Rite of Baptism. Regardless of age, candidates are to be sponsored by parents and/or godparents. Youths able to understand the significance of the Rite may go through the ritual speaking for themselves. Younger children and infants rely on their sponsors to act upon their behalf. 1. The celebrant calls for the candidates for Baptism to be presented. 2. The catechumen or sponsors state their request for Baptism 3a. If the catechumen is of age, the celebrant will ask him or her if he or she desires Baptism, which the catechumen will state he or she says "I do." 3b. If the candidate relies on sponsors, the celebrant asks them if they will raise the child in "the Christian faith and life" (ECUSA BCP), and will raise the child through "prayers and witness to grow into the full stature of Christ" to which the parents will state to each, "I will, with God's help." 4. A series of questions are then asked, to which the reply is always "I renounce them": :Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God? :Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God? :Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God? 5. The second half of the query is asked, to which the reply is always "I do": :Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior? :Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love? :Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord? 6. The Apostle's Creed is then recited, in which is divided into three parts; the celebrant asks whether they believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to which the Creed is stated in its three divisions in respect to the Three Persons of the Trinity.

Roman Catholic and Lutheran Rite of Baptism

An interrogative form of the Apostles' Creed is used in the Rite of Baptism (for both children and adults). The minister of baptism asks the following questions (ICEL, 1974): :Do you reject sin so as to live in the freedom of God's children? :Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness? :Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? :Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, an is now seated at the right hand of the Father? :Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting? To each, the catechumen, or, in the case of an infant, the parents and sponsor(s) (godparent(s)) in his or her place, answers "I do."

Roman Catholic Profession of Faith at Mass

Although the canonical creed is in the first person singular, the rubrics of the Roman Missal require that when it is recited in the context of the Sacred Liturgy it is expressed in the first person plural. The Apostles' Creed is specified for use in Masses with children or for other pastoral reasons approved by the relevant prelate (ICEL, 1974); in other circumstances, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (with the added filioque) is used.

Origin of the Creed

Many hypotheses exist concerning the date and nature of the origin of the Apostles' Creed. There is no Catholic dogmatic teaching on its origin. One legend proposes that the creed was originally formulated in twelve articles, each written by an Apostle after the Pentecost under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Some historians place the origin of the Apostles' Creed as late as fifth century Gaul. The earliest known concrete historical evidence of the creed's existence as it is currently titled (Symbolum Apostolicum) is a letter of the Council of Milan (390 AD) to Pope Siricius (here in English): ::"If you credit not the teachings of the priests . . . let credit at least be given to the Symbol of the Apostles which the Roman Church always preserves and maintains inviolate." The public domain Catholic Encyclopedia contains a [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01629a.htm detailed discussion] of the origin of the Apostles' Creed.

Theological issues

It does not address some of the Christological issues associated with the later Nicene Creed and other Christian Creeds. In particular, it was acceptable to many Arians and Unitarians.

References

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- Category:Christianity Category:Christian texts category:Christian Confessions, Creeds and Statements Category:Christian prayer Category:Ancient Roman Christianity ko:사도신경 ms:Pengakuan Iman Rasuli

Latin Rite

Latin Rite, in the singular and accompanied, in English, by the definite article ("The Latin Rite"), is a term by which documents of the Catholic Church designate the particular Church, distinct from the Eastern Rite Churches, that developed in western Europe and northern Africa, where Latin was the language of education and culture. The Latin Church (again in the singular) is an alternative term, used, for instance, in the opening canon of both the 1917 and the 1983 editions of the Code of Canon Law. The term Latin rite is used also, in singular or plural, to refer to one or more of the forms of sacred liturgy used in different parts of this Latin Church. They include the widely used Roman rite, the Ambrosian rite of Milan, Italy and neighbouring areas, and the Mozarabic rite, in very limited use at Toledo, Spain. Other Latin liturgical rites have fallen into into disuse, such as the Gallican rite that was associated with France, and the rites that some religious orders practised until after the Second Vatican Council. Sometimes, the term "Roman Catholic" is treated as synonymous with "Latin-Rite", though never in official documents of the Catholic Church itself. Characteristic of the Latin Rite (in the first-mentioned sense) are obligatory celibacy of priests, Confirmation after reaching the age of reason (but not necessarily as late as pre-adolescence), direct appointment of bishops by the Pope, honorary titles of patriarch and primate, and, of course, the Latin-rite liturgies. The Eastern-Rite Churches differ, to varying extents, from the Latin Church in these respects. For instance, ordination to priesthood (but not to the order of bishop) may be conferred on married men, and Eastern patriarchal and major archiepiscopal Churches elect bishops for their own territory (though not outside it). Canon law for the Latin-Rite Church has, since 1917, been codified in the Code of Canon Law. A completely new edition was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1983.[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM]

External links related to just one of the liturgical rites used in the Latin-Rite particular Church

- [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13155a.htm The Roman Rite] (Catholic Encyclopedia)
- [http://www.latin-mass-society.org/2004/hoyospraise.html Cardinal Hoyos said: the traditional mass liturgy was never abrogated]
- [http://www.sspxasia.com/Documents/Sacraments/Mass-Legal.htm Legal status of the traditional Tridentine Mass]
- [http://www.sspx.ca/Angelus/1984_September/Legal_Status_Mass.htm Michael Davies: May Catholics Attend the Traditional Latin Mass?]
- [http://www.catholictradition.org/v2-bombs15.htm Liturgical time bombs]
- [http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CEDSSPX.HTM 1995 official statement on Masses celebrated by the Society of St Pius X]
- [http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CEDSSPX2.HTM 1998 official statement on Society of St Pius X] Category:Catholic Liturgical Rites Category:Roman Catholic Church organisation

Particular church

A Particular Church, in Roman Catholic theology and canon law, is any of the individual constituent ecclesial communities in full communion with the Church of Rome that are part of the Catholic Church as a whole. These can be the local Churches mentioned in Canon 368 of the Code of Canon Law: "Particular Churches, in which and from which the one and only Catholic Church exists, are principally dioceses. Unless the contrary is clear, the following are equivalent to a diocese: a territorial prelature, a territorial abbacy, a vicariate apostolic, a prefecture apostolic and a permanently established apostolic administration" [http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P1B.HTM#N]. Or they can be aggregations of such local Churches that share a specific liturgical, theological and canonical tradition, namely, the western Latin Rite or Latin Church and the various Eastern Rites or Eastern Churches that the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Catholic Eastern Churches Orientalium Ecclesiarum, 2[http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_orientalium-ecclesiarum_en.html] called "particular Churches or rites" . The importance in Catholic theology of communion with the Church of Rome is the reason why the Catholic Church as a whole, of which all the particular Churches, eastern or western, in full communion with Rome are considered part, is commonly designated Roman Catholic, a term also used, though never officially by the Catholic Church itself, to refer only to its Latin Rite. The technical term "particular Church" thus has two distinct, though related, meanings. The 1983 Code of Canon Law, which is concerned with the Latin-Rite Church alone, uses the term "particular Church" only in the sense of "local Church", as in its Canon 373: "It is within the competence of the supreme authority alone to establish particular Churches; once they are lawfully established, the law itself gives them juridical personality."[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P1B.HTM#N] For the other kind of "particular Church" it uses the unambiguous phrase "autonomous ritual Church" (in Latin Ecclesia ritualis sui iuris). The 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, which is instead concerned above all with particular Churches in this second meaning, has shortened this phrase to "autonomous Church" (in Latin, Ecclesia sui iuris), as in its canon 27: "A group of Christ’s faithful hierarchically linked in accordance with law and given express or tacit recognition by the supreme authority of the Church is in this Code called an autonomous Church." Communion between particular Churches has existed since the Apostles: "Among these manifold particular expressions of the saving presence of the one Church of Christ, there are to be found, from the times of the Apostles on, those entities which are in themselves Churches (32: Cf. Ac [http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=51&ch=008&l=1 8:1], [http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=51&ch=011&l=22 Ac 11:22], 1 Cor [http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=53&ch=001&l=2 1:2], [http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=53&ch=016&l=19 1 Cor 16:19], Gal [http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=55&ch=001&l=22 1:22], Rev [http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=73&ch=002 2], [http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=73&ch=001&l=8 Rev 1:8], etc.), because, although they are particular, the universal Church becomes present in them with all its essential elements (33: Cf. [http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/pcb_index.htm PONTIFICAL BIBLICAL COMMISSION], Unité et diversité dans l'Eglise, Lib. Ed. Vaticana 1989, especially, pp. 14-28.)" ([http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_28051992_communionis-notio_en.html Communionis Notio, 7]). The Catholic Church as a whole is more than just the sum of the particular Churches ("dioceses" or "rites") within it: "The particular Churches, insofar as they are 'part of the one Church of Christ' (Second Vatican Council: Decree Christus Dominus, 6/c), have a special relationship of mutual interiority with the whole, that is, with the universal Church, because in every particular Church 'the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ is truly present and active' (Second Vatican Council: Decree Christus Dominus, 11/a). For this reason, the universal Church cannot be conceived as the sum of the particular Churches, or as a federation of particular Churches. It is not the result of the communion of the Churches, but, in its essential mystery, it is a reality ontologically and temporally prior to every individual particular Church" ([http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_28051992_communionis-notio_en.html Communionis Notio, 9]). Obviously, the phrase "particular Church" can be used also in a non-technical sense. If people speak of "their own particular Church", they are not necessarily giving the phrase the precise canonical and theological meaning considered here. And if the words "particular church" refer to a building and not to a body of Christians, the meaning is, of course, completely different.
- [http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_28051992_communionis-notio_en.html Communionis Notio]
- [http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM Code of Canon Law] Category:Canon law Category:Roman Catholic Church

Communion (christianity)

The Eucharist is the rite that Christians perform in fulfillment of Jesus' instruction, recorded in the New Testament, to do in memory of him what he did at his Last Supper. Jesus gave his disciples bread, saying "This is my body", and wine, saying "This is my blood." Christians generally recognize a special presence of Christ in this rite, though they differ about exactly how, where, and when Christ is present. The word "Eucharist" is also applied to the bread and wine consecrated in the course of the rite. The word "Eucharist" comes from the ancient Greek language. It means "to give thanks" or "thanksgiving." The word "Eucharist" is found in the Greek text of the New Testament in such passages as Matthew 15:36, 16:27, Mark 8:6, 14:23, Luke 22:17,19, John 6:11,23, Acts 27:35, 1 Corinthians 11:24. In each of these passages Jesus Christ offered his followers the bread or the cup and "he gave thanks (Eucharist)." It may be noted that the same word is found in many other passages of the New Testament describing the giving of thanks completely separate from the occasion of rite of Communion, (John 11:41, Romans 1:8, 7:25, 1 Corinthians 1:4, Ephesians 1:16, etc.) Most Christians classify the Eucharist as a sacrament, but many Protestant traditions avoid the term sacrament, preferring ordinance. In these traditions, the ceremony is seen not as a specific channel of grace but as an expression of faith and obedience of the Christian community.

Names for the Eucharist

- Eucharist (from Greek eucharistia, "thanksgiving") is the term with the earliest established historical use. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, who was martyred in Rome in about 110, used the term "Eucharist", referring to both the rite and the consecrated elements, three times in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/srawley/smyrnaeans.html] and once in his Letter to the Philadelphians [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/srawley/philadelphians.html]. Justin Martyr, writing around 150, gave a detailed description of the rite, and stated that "Eucharist" was the name that Christians used: "This food is called among us the Eucharist..." (Apology, 66 [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-firstapology.html]). Today the term "Eucharist" is used by Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, the Oriental Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans. Most other Protestant traditions use this term rarely, but few reject it entirely.
- Communion (from Latin communio, "sharing in common") is a term used by Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, and many Protestants; Holy Communion is also prevalent. Catholics and Orthodox typically apply it to the partaking of the consecrated bread and wine, and to these consecrated elements themselves, rather than to the Eucharistic rite as a whole. In their understanding, it is possible to participate in the celebration of the Eucharistic rite without "receiving Holy Communion" (partaking of the consecrated elements). On the other hand, groups that originated in the Protestant Reformation usually apply this term to the whole rite. Many, especially Anglicans, prefer the fuller term "Holy Communion" rather than just "Communion". The term Communion holds further ambiguity in that it also refers to the relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with other Christians (see Communion (Christian)) and can also refer to the relationship between the Three Divine Persons within the Trinity, which relationships are considered the archetype of the other forms of communion.
- The Lord's Supper and the Breaking of Bread are terms that the New Testament (1 Corinthians 11:20; Acts 2:42, 46) applies to celebration of the Eucharist. The first of these terms tends to be preferred by "minimalist" traditions, especially those strongly influenced by Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli and the Restoration Movement. The Lord's Supper is also a common term among Lutherans, as is the sacrament of the altar. Other Churches and denominations also use these terms, but generally not as their basic, routine term.
- Certain terms are limited to the Orthodox Christian and Catholic traditions, and are typically applied to the rite as a whole. The Divine Liturgy is used by Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic Churches, who also, especially for the consecrated elements, use the Divine Mysteries. Roman Catholics use many other terms, including the Mass, the Memorial of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the Holy Mysteries. The Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar are also common terms for the consecrated elements, especially when reserved in the Church tabernacle.

Eucharist in the Bible

The three synoptic Gospels (Matthew [http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/r/rsv/rsv-idx?type=citation&book=Matthew&chapno=26&startverse=26&endverse=29], Mark [http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/r/rsv/rsv-idx?type=citation&book=Mark&chapno=14&startverse=22&endverse=24], and Luke [http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/r/rsv/rsv-idx?type=citation&book=Luke&chapno=22&startverse=19&endverse=20]) as well as Saint Paul's first Letter to the Corinthians [http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/r/rsv/rsv-idx?type=citation&book=1+Corinthians&chapno=11&startverse=23&endverse=26] contain versions of the Words of Institution spoken by Jesus at the Last Supper: "Take, eat, this is my body ... Take, drink, this is my blood ... Do this in remembrance of me." All subsequent celebration of the Eucharist is based on this injunction. John 6 is also interpreted in connection with the Eucharist: " For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him." (John 6:55-56) See also: Historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theology

Christian Theology

The Eucharist has always been at the center of Christian worship, though theological interpretations vary. In general, the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox traditions see the Eucharist as the fulfillment of God's plan for the salvation of humanity from sin (the "Divine Economy"), a commemoration and making present of Jesus' Crucifixion on Calvary and his Resurrection, the means for Christians to unite with God and with each other, and the giving of thanks for all these things. Differences in Eucharistic theology tend to be related to differences in understanding of these areas. Efforts at mutual understanding of the range of theologies led in the 1980s to consultations on [http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/bem1.html Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry] (BEM) through the World Council of Churches, and included the Roman Catholic Church.

Roman Catholic: Sacrifice; Transubstantiation

In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments, but is also considered the "queen of the sacraments" and "the blessed sacrament." The Eucharist is a commemoration, or, in Greek, anamnesis of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, understood in the fullest sense given to it in Biblical tradition. In other words, it is a memorial which does not just bring to mind the event celebrated, but also makes it truly present. The Eucharist is therefore understood to be not simply a representation of Christ's presence, or a remembrance of his Passion and Death, but an actual participation in the Sacrifice of Christ, the manifestation, in the present, of an event that occurred once for all in time. The Eucharist makes present that one sacrifice, not a different sacrifice. The priest and victim of the sacrifice are one and the same; the only difference is in the manner in which it is offered—the Church teaches that the Mass is the sacrifice at Calvary made present in an unbloody manner. The only minister of the Eucharist, that is, one authorized to celebrate the rite and consecrate the Eucharist, is a validly ordained priest (either bishop or presbyter) acting in the person of Christ (in persona Christi). In other words the priest celebrant represents Christ, who is the Head of the Church, and acts before God in the name of the Church. The matter used must be wheaten bread and grape wine; this is essential for validity. According to the Roman Catholic Church, when the bread and wine are consecrated in the Eucharist, they cease to be bread and wine, and become instead the body and blood of Christ. The empirical appearances are not changed, but the reality is. The consecration of the bread (known as the host) and wine represents the separation of Jesus's body from his blood at Calvary. However, since he has risen, the Church teaches that his body and blood can no longer be truly separated. Where one is, the other must be. Therefore, although the priest (or minister) says, "The body of Christ", when administering the host, and, "The blood of Christ", when presenting the chalice, the communicant who receives either one receives Christ, whole and entire. The hosts are kept in a tabernacle after the celebration of the Mass, so that they can be brought to the sick and dying outside the time of Mass, and also so that the Eucharistic presence may be worshipped and adored. On occasions, the Eucharist is exposed in a monstrance, in order for it to be the focus of prayer and adoration. The mysterious change of the reality of the bread and wine used in the Eucharist, a change to which patristic writers had given other equivalent names, began to be called "transubstantiation" in the twelfth century. In the judgement of the Catholic Church, this term, with its accompanying unambiguous distinction between "substance" or underlying reality, and " accidents" or humanly perceptible appearances, still best safeguards against the opposite extremes of a cannibalistic or of a merely symbolic interpretation of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is given to Catholics who wish to receive either at Mass or outside of Mass. This is called the administration of Holy Communion. When it is given at Mass, it may be given under one kind (usually the host), or under both kinds (both the host and the consecrated wine, referred to by Catholics as the Precious Blood). Regular use of Communion under both kinds requires the permission of the bishop, but bishops in some countries have given blanket permission to administer Holy Communion in this way. The ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are Bishops, Priests and Deacons, the latter traditionally ministering the chalice. Members of the laity can also be commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, where there is a necessity. This is, in a way, a return to a very early practice, whereby the ordinary faithful took Communion to the sick and to others unable to come to the Eucharistic celebration.

Eastern Christianity: Sacrifice and Objective Reality but Pious Silence on the Particulars

The Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East agree with the Roman Catholic Church that Christ is really, fully, and uniquely present in the Eucharistic elements, and that, in the Divine Liturgy, the one sacrifice of Christ is made present; however, beyond that, these traditions reject any further analysis. Instead, they hold that the exact means by which the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is a mystery. They are not particularly interested in the precise moment the change occurs, although this "change" or "fulfillment" of the bread and wine is usually identified with the Epiklesis. As in the Roman Church, the change is regarded as permanent, and any of the consecrated elements, or "gifts," that remain at the end of the Divine Liturgy are normally consumed by a priest or deacon. Gifts reserved for the communion of the sick are specially consecrated on Holy Thursday, or at other times as needed, and are not simply leftovers from the previous Divine Liturgy. Since the Eucharistic gifts are regarded primarily as food, Eucharistic adoration is unknown outside the Liturgy itself, except among those Orthodox Christians who worship according to a Western Rite.

Anglicans/Episcopalians: Real Presence with Opinion

The historical position of the Anglican Communion is found in the Thirty-Nine Articles of 1571, which state "the Bread which we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ"; and likewise that "the Cup of Blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ" (Articles of Religion, Article XXVIII: Of the Lord's Supper). The fact that the terms "Bread" and "Wine" and the corresponding words "Body" and "Blood" are all capitalized may reflect the wide range of theological beliefs regarding the Eucharist among Anglicans. However, these same articles also deny that adoration, or worship per se, of the consecrated elements is appropriate and state that those who receive unworthily do not, in fact, partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. Contemporary Anglicans almost all believe in the Real Presence, but the specifics of that belief range from Transubstantiation, possibly with Eucharistic adoration (mainly Anglo-Catholics), to a belief in a spiritual-only presence, which may or may not be tied to the eucharistic elements themselves (almost always Reformed, or "low church" Anglicans). The normal range of Anglican belief ranges from Objective Reality to Pious Silence, depending on how Traditional or Reformed the individual Anglican's theology is. A small minority reject the doctrine of the Real Presence altogether, in violation of Anglicanism's historic position on the matter.

Lutherans: presence as "in, with and under": the Sacramental Union

Lutherans believe that the body and blood of Christ are "truly and substantially present in, with and under" the bread and wine (the elements), so that communicants eat and drink both the elements and the true body and blood of Christ Himself (cf. Augsburg Confession, Article 10). The doctrine of the Real Presence is also known among some Lutherans as the "Sacramental Union." For Lutherans there is no sacrament unless the elements are used according to Christ's institution (consecration, distribution, and reception). As a result, only bread and wine remain after the distribution and reception of the Lord's Supper, and after the conclusion of the service. The elements are treated with respect, but are not "adored" or reserved as in Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican practice. Lutherans use the terms "in, with and under" and "Sacramental Union" to distinguish their understanding of the Lord's Supper from those of the Reformed and other traditions.

Methodism: presence as "mystery"

There is no definitive Methodist statement on how the Christ is present in Holy Communion. The followers of John Wesley have typically affirmed that the grace of Christ is experienced via his real presence in the sacrament, but have allowed the details to remain a mystery, rejecting the doctrine of transubstantiation (see "Article XVIII" of the Articles of Religion, Means of Grace). In 2004, the United Methodist Church more clearly defined its view of the sacrament and its belief in the Real Presence in an official document entitled [http://www.gbod.org/worship/thisholymystery/default.html This Holy Mystery].

Calvinist Reformed: spiritual feeding

Many Reformed Christians, particularly those following John Calvin, hold that Christ's body and blood do not come down to inhabit the elements, but that "the Spirit truly unites things separated in space" (Calvin). Following a phrase of Augustine, the Calvinist view is that "no one bears away from this Sacrament more than is gathered with the vessel of faith". "The flesh and blood of Christ are no less truly given to the unworthy than to God's elect believers", Calvin said, "but those who partake by faith receive benefit from Christ, and the unbelieving are condemned by partaking. By faith (not a mere mental apprehension), and in the Holy Spirit, the partaker beholds God incarnate, and in the same sense touches him with hands, so that by eating and drinking of bread and wine Christ's actual presence penetrates to the heart of the believer more nearly than food swallowed with the mouth can enter in." Calvin specifically rejected adoration of the Eucharistic bread and wine as "idolatry", however. The elements may be disposed of without ceremony; they are unchanged, and as such the meal directs attention toward Christ's bodily resurrection and return.

Reformed/Congregational: non-presence

Some Protestant groups see Communion (also called the Lord's Supper or the Lord's Table) as a symbolic meal, a memorial of the Last Supper and the Passion in which nothing miraculous occurs. This view is known as the Zwinglian view, after Huldrych Zwingli, a Swiss leader during the Reformation. It is commonly associated with Baptists and the Disciples of Christ. Many of the Reformed hold that Calvin actually held this view, and not the Spiritual feeding idea attributed to him by some; or that the two views are really the same.

Summary of views

Because Jesus Christ is a person, theologies regarding the Eucharist involve consideration of the way in which the communicant's personal relationship with God is fed through this mystical meal. However, debates over Eucharistic theology in the West have centered not on the personal aspects of Christ's presence but on the metaphysical. The opposing views are summarized below.
- Transubstantiation – the substance (fundamental reality) of the bread and wine is transformed in a way beyond human comprehension into that of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, but the accidents (physical traits, including chemical properties) of the bread and wine remain; this view is held by the Roman Catholic Church and many Anglicans, especially Anglo-Catholic Anglicans.
- "In, with and under" - the body and blood of Jesus Christ are substantially present in, with and under the substance of the bread and wine, which remain. This is the view held by most Lutherans, and some Anglicans. Some refer to this view as consubstantiation, but many Lutherans reject this term.
- Objective reality, but pious silence about technicalities - the view of all the ancient Churches of the East, including the Eastern Orthodox, the Oriental Orthodox, and the Assyrian Church of the East as well as perhaps most Anglicans. These, while agreeing with the Roman Catholic belief that the sacrament is not merely bread and wine but truly the body and blood of Christ, have not adopted the "substance" and "accidents" terminology, preferring not to scrutinize the technicalities of the transformation. Some Eastern Orthodox Christians speak of "tranessentiation" in this regard. Most Eastern Christians, as well as some Anglicans, would understand this view as being "incarnational," reflecting the analogy Justin Martyr drew between the incarnation of the eternal divine Logos and the presence of that incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, in the consecrated bread and wine.
- Real Spiritual presence - not only the spirit, but also the true body and blood of Jesus Christ (hence "real") are received by the sovereign, mysterious, and miraculous power of the Holy Spirit (hence "spiritual"), but only by those partakers who have faith. This view approaches the "pious silence" view in its unwillingness to specify how the Holy Spirit makes Christ present, but positively excludes not just symbolism but also trans- and con-substantiation. It is also known as "mystical presence," and is held by most Reformed Christians, such as Presbyterians, as well as Methodists and some Anglicans, particularly Reformed Anglicans. See [http://www.opc.org/documents/WCF.html Westminster Confession of Faith, ch. 19.] This understanding is often called "receptionism" and is exemplified by the "invocation" of the Anglican Rite as found in the American Book of Common Prayer, 1928 and earlier and in Rite I of the American BCP of 1979 as well as in other Anglican formularies: ::And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us, and of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed body and blood.
- Symbolism - the bread and wine are symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and in partaking of the elements the believer commemorates the sacrificial death of Christ. This view is also known as "memorialism" and Zwinglianism after Ulrich Zwingli and is held by several