This post was chosen as newsworthy at Sensus Divinitatis News….

“Full understanding” of the eternal mysteries is not in our power.
It is said that we must become as little children in order to enter the Kingdom, so maybe instead of ‘fully understanding’ it has more to do with ’something else’.
We are so enamored of our ‘abilities’ to theo-logize, that our pride sometimes blinds us to the gifts of the sacred mysteries. A child is safe from that. A child can ’sense’ God’s love not because he ‘understands fully’, but because he doesn’t see the lack of it as a barrier between him and the Lord..

http://www.calvin.edu/worship/idis/theology/ntwright_sacraments.php

Of course, it’s not going to totally line up exactly with “Transubstantiation,” which is absolutely dripping in Medieval Scholasticism, but from what I understand, many Roman Catholic intellectuals are beginning to drift away from that view anyway. And the Orthodox don’t really try to pin down exactly what happens.

I’m sorry if this seems like the audio version of a cut-in-paste, but this talk is really, really good.

My guess is that as the “Early Period Boomers” (the Woodstock types) came of age, they started things going south almost immediately, to the point that the “Late Period Boomers/Jonesers” started showing the reaction that reached critical mass with Gen Xers.

Also, the transition “Jonesers” were at just the right age to be inoculated with Fifties optimism (that “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, Shining at the End of Every Day”) as children only to become adult in the cesspool of post-Woodstock pessimism and smug Nihilism. Boomer childhood, then Gen-Xer adulthood. No wonder we show characteristics of both.

Michael, on that we can agree.

And I never discuss the term “symbolic” with anyone anymore. We’ve pretty much lost the ability to see the presence of Jesus in things that are “symbolic,” so in that sense I don’t believe there’s “symbolism.”

I don’t believe the altar in 13:10 means the table in my church, and I don’t see an altar as required part of the passover meal. Altar is the sacrificial reality of the old covenant fulfilled in the new.

Which term? Actually , between the Hebrew concept of ‘zecher’ and the term ‘anamnesis’ , it is the connections they share as each is reflected in the liturgy of the two major religions. This connection bond provides a synergy which elevates the interest in each as they are compared in the context of the respective faith liturgical traditions. This synergy spirals the interest of theologians way above what each would inspire if no connection existed between the two traditions, one historically rooted in the other. Sorry to sound so muddled. Glad to hear you are aware of the ‘concept.’

BTW I have assumed that the Evangelical take on Hebrews 13:10 is entirely symbolic. Am I correct there? Thanks if you can help me. Good Sabbath to you.

This will be my last comment on this subject so as not to distract the conversation, but the reason I find this such a difficult subject is because I have belonged, since I was 13 or so, to a denomination that believes it is a hill to die on.

I won’t link to it, but I will mention that I have written a bit about this struggle at my personal blog and received some good conversation at another blog I post at. I appreciate the feedback, and Austin I’m about to pop over to your blog and I’ll shoot you an email too. In the meantime, refer to the post at my blog.

Thanks again.