Page "Protestant Reformation" Paragraph 36

Luther affirmed a theology of the Eucharist called Real Presence, a doctrine of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist that affirms the real presence, yet holds that the bread and wine are not " changed " into the body and blood ; rather the divine elements adhere " in, with, and under " the earthly elements.

He took this understanding of Christ's presence in the Eucharist to be more harmonious with the Church's teaching on the Incarnation.

Just as Christ is the union of the fully human and the fully divine ( cf.

Council of Chalcedon ) so too the Eucharist is a union of Bread and Body, Wine and Blood.

According to the doctrine of real presence, the substances of the body and the blood of Christ and of the bread and the wine were held to coexist together in the consecrated Host during the communion service.

While Luther seemed to maintain the perpetual consecration of the elements, other Lutherans argued that any consecrated bread or wine left over would revert to its former state the moment the service ended.

Most Lutherans accept the latter.