Albion
Facilitator
As containing the actual (not symbolic or representational) presence of Christ.Real Presence as a mysterious, undefined what?
If you think about it, half of what we do believe as Christians IS inexplicable. But we know that whatever it is...is true. All things spiritual can be considered mysterious to our eyes.How can we say that we truly believe in something that is purely a mystery?
Generally speaking, I'd agree. That doesn't mean that all the things of God boil down to some mathematical or rational explanation, especially when it comes to "how it does that." For example, we don't have a specific, scientific explanation for how the Virgin birth could have happened, but we know enough to believe it.Don't we all need at least a little definition for what it is and what it isn't?
Exactly so. The faith of the church for a thousand years or so ultimately produced from the inquisitive mind of men the desire to explain how God did what he did. But that's not to say that it was necessary or the guess that won out in the church council of 1215 was correct.Transubstantiation is an attempt to do just that.
OK. Personally, I'm happy enough to stay with the Apostolic belief and not try to come up with any modification of it. Others feel less secure doing that, I know.So this leaves people who would deny transubstantiation with two alternatives, either state that it is just a mystery and all attempts at definition are wrong because they attempt to define the undefinable or an alternative definition.
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