Topic

Sacraments

The rites, above all the Eucharist and Baptism, through which churches hold that God’s grace is given or signified, and what actually happens in them.

On the Eucharist, the main question is how Christ is present in the bread and wine. Transubstantiation and the Orthodox Eucharistic Mystery affirm a real change. In the Reformation, Protestants split three ways: Martin Luther’s Sacramental Union, John Calvin’s Spiritual Presence and Huldrych Zwingli’s Memorialism. Luther and Zwingli failed to agree at the Marburg Colloquy of 1529.

On Baptism, the question is who should receive it. Most churches practise Infant Baptism. Anabaptists, Baptists and many Pentecostals hold to Believer’s Baptism.