The Eucharistic Communion and the World

The theology of John Zizioulas presents a beautiful vision of the Church as Eucharistic communion, in which human persons both are gathered into Jesus Christ and are sent back into the world. In his previous books, Zizioulas focused on the way this communion is related to the communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which calls us to understand being as communion and provides the only foundation for otherness and identity. With its sustained attention directly to the Eucharistic communion, this volume provides the context for those discussions. Zizioulas here explores the biblical dimensions and eschatological foundation of the Eucharist, the celebration of the Eucharist by the Church, and the ethos of the Eucharistic community. These essays are provocatively concrete and practical, showing once again that Zizioulas' teaching on persons, communion and otherness has radical implications for the life of the Church and its relationship to the world.

Chapter One: Biblical Aspects of the Eucharist\Chapter Two: The Eucharist and The Kingdom of God\Chapter Three: Symbolism and Realism in Orthodox Worship\Chapter Four: The Ecclesiological Presuppositions of the Holy Eucharist\Chapter Five: Reflections on Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist\Chapter Six:: The Eucharistic Vision of the World\Chapter Seven: Proprietors or Priests of Creation?\Chapter Eight: Preserving God's Creation