Sacramental Theology in a Secular Age

The sacramental theology that is being called for here is in actuality more Protestant than Roman Catholic. A pure sacramental theology, where the immanent can hold the transcendent, is impossible to reconcile with the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. Such a view is by necessity non-sacramental, as it denies that the finite can retain its substance while being joined with the infinite. The Protestant understanding of the sacraments is one where the elements remain elements even while the Lord’s presence is in them. The bread does not utterly transform into the body of Christ, it remains bread even as it has the real presence of Christ’s body. Therefore, a sacramental theology does not necessitate that evangelicals cross the Tiber and return to Rome; rather, it renders such a return impossible.

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From a paper awarded the Goodwin Prize.