The Pledge of Future Glory

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The Pledge of Future Glory The Pledge of Future Glory The Eschatological Dimension of The Eucharist: A Systematic Exploration Submitted by Paul Vu Chi Hy SSS, BTheol. , M.A. (Fordham) A Thesis Submitted in total Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Theology Faculty of Arts and Sciences Australian Catholic University Research Services Locked Bag 4115, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia Date of Submission 17 March 2004 Statement of Sources This thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma. Signed: _____________________________ Dated: ______________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS Thesis Abstract i Acknowledgements iii Chapter 1 Introduction: Eucharist and Eschatology 1 1.1 The significance of this study . 3 1.2 The state of the question and of contemporary scholarship regarding Eucharist and eschatology 5 1.3 Scope and method of approach 16 1.4 A hopeful contribution 18 Chapter 2 The Impact of Philosophy: A Current Philosophical- 22 Phenomenological Context for Eucharistic Eschatology 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Gabriel Marcel: The existential attitude of hope 2.2.1 The phenomenology of the experience of hope 24 2.2.2 The relation to Christian hope 28 2.2.3 Eucharistic perspective 30 2.2.4 Eschatological perspective 34 2.3 Ernst Bloch: A hopeful ontology of the future 36 2.3.1 The anthropological structure of hope 37 2.3.2 A new eschatology of religion 41 2.3.3 Revealed utopia and Eucharistic hope 43 2.4 Robyn Horner, Jacques Derrida, Jean-Luc Marion and David 46 Power: The phenomenology of gift 2.4.1 The conditions of possibility and impossibility 47 2.4.2 An eschatological view of the gift 51 2.5 A thematic approach to Eucharistic hope 53 2.6 Conclusion 56 Chapter 3 Geoffrey Wainwright: 58 The Eucharist as A Foretaste of the Messianic Banquet 3.1 Introduction 3.2 The eschatological reality of the Eucharist 62 3.2.1 The messianic feast: The Antepast 63 (i) The Old Testament preparation (ii) Feasting in the Kingdom according to the New 64 Testament (iii) The Eucharist as meal of the Kingdom in the liturgical 66 and theological traditions. 3.2.2 The advent of Christ: Maranatha 68 3.2.3 The firstfruits of the Kingdom 72 3.3 The bread and wine and the transfigured creation 75 3.4 Critical reflections 79 3.5 Conclusion 88 Chapter 4 François-Xavier Durrwell: 90 The Eucharist as The Real Presence of the Risen Christ 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The Paschal Mystery as starting point 93 4.3 The Eucharist as sacrament of the Parousia 97 4.3.1 The coming of Christ as permanent actuality 4.3.2 The Eucharistic Christ as the eschatological Lord 99 4.4 The eschatological modality of Eucharistic presence 100 4.4.1 A presence as final reality of the world 101 4.4.2 The Eucharistic bread and wine: Sign of transformative 102 presence 4.4.3 The mode of presence in the Church 104 4.4.4 Eucharistic presence as Trinitarian 107 4.5 Critical reflections 109 4.6 Conclusion 115 Chapter 5 Gustave Martelet: 118 The Eucharist and the Transformation of the World 5.1 Introduction 5.2 The Eucharistic symbolism and its meaning 120 5.3 The symbols in the Eucharist and the human condition 122 5.3.1 Bread and wine as symbols of nature and culture 123 5.3.2 Table and Community 124 5.3.3 Nourishment and corporality 125 5.3.4 The bread of life and mortality 128 5.4 Anthropology and resurrection 129 5.5 The eschatological features of the Eucharist 132 5.5.1 The Eucharist as memorial and presence of the Risen Lord 133 5.5.2 The Eucharist as cosmic “transubstantiation” 134 5.5.3 The Eucharistic transformation 137 5.6 Critical reflections 139 5.7 Conclusion 146 Chapter 6 Hans Urs von Balthasar: 149 The Eucharist As Sacrificial Celebration of The Eschaton 6.1 Introduction 6.2 The Eucharist and the Last Supper 153 6.3 The dramatic dimensions of the Eucharist: The Christ-Church event 155 6.3.1 The Eucharistic attitude of the Church as Christ’s beloved bride 156 6.3.2 Christ as Priest and the self-offering of the Church 158 6.4 The Eucharistic sacrifice and the resurrection 160 6.5 Eucharistic communion 162 6.5.1 The Eucharist as process of transformation in Christ 163 6.5.2 The Eucharist as event of Trinitarian presence 165 6.6 Critical reflections 166 6.7 Conclusion 174 Chapter 7 Louis-Marie Chauvet: 177 The Eucharist as Memorial Anticipation of the Future 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Christian memory as eschatological 179 7.2.1 Jesus and Jewish worship 7.2.2 The Easter rupture and the status of Christian worship 181 7.3 The cultic language of the early Church: Liturgy and ethics 183 7.3.1 The status of priesthood and sacrifice 185 7.3.2 Corporality as location of the Christian liturgy 186 7.4 The Eucharist and the “between time” 188 7.4.1 The “already” character of salvation 189 7.4.2 The “not yet” eschatological restraint 190 7.5 The Eucharist: Eschatology and history 193 7.5.1 The Paschal Mystery as primary context 7.5.2 The Eucharist and the historical world 195 7.6 Critical reflections 197 7.7 Conclusion 202 Chapter 8 Points of Convergence and Divergence in these Five 204 Approaches to the Eschatological Dimension of the Eucharist 8.1 Introduction 8.2 The Eucharist as anticipation of the Eschaton 205 8.2.1 The Eucharist as eschatological banquet 206 8.2.2 The Eucharist as the body of the Risen Lord 207 8.2.3 The Eucharist as the eschatological advent of Christ 208 8.3 The Eucharist as eschatological presence 210 8.3.1 The eschatological aspect of Eucharistic presence 211 8.3.2 Eucharistic presence as symbolic and personal encounter 212 8.3.3 Eucharistic presence in the mode of promise 215 8.4 The Eucharist as memorial of the Paschal Mystery 217 8.5 The Trinitarian dimension of the Eucharist 219 8.5.1 The Eucharist as commemoration of the Trinitarian event 220 8.5.2 The role of the Spirit in the Eucharist 221 8.6 The Eucharist and the mystery of the Church 223 8.6.1 The Eucharist and the Church as the Body of Christ 8.6.2 The Eucharist as the sacrificial celebration of Christ and the 224 Church 8.6.3 The Eucharist and the Church as eschatological communion 226 8.7 The Eucharist and the principles of a Christian ethics 228 8.7.1 The Eucharist as ethical imperative 229 8.7.2 The Eucharist as eschatological judgement 232 8.8 Conclusion 234 8.8.1 Points of convergence 235 8.8.2 Points of divergence 238 8.8.3 Questions for further consideration 243 Chapter 9 Towards a Constructive Retrieval of the Eschatological 246 Dimension of the Eucharist 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Towards a systematic synthesis of Eucharistic eschatology 9.2.1 The form of the Eucharistic hope as communion: “God will be 247 all in all” (i) The personal dimension of eschatological communion 248 (ii) The interpersonal and ecclesial dimension: The event of 249 persons in communion (iii) The cosmic dimension 252 9.2.2 The Eucharist as source of a hope-filled praxis of liberation: 254 Bread of Life as hope for the world (i) The political, social and liberating implications of the 255 Eucharist: Hunger for justice (ii) The Eucharist and the human hunger for meaning and 257 purpose 9.2.3 The Eucharist as eschatological gift of God in Christ 259 (i) The Eucharist as gift of freedom 260 (ii) The Eucharist as celebration of thanksgiving 261 (iii) The Eucharist as sharing in God’s gift of salvation in 263 history 9.2.4 The liturgical celebration of the Eucharist as divine milieu of 265 the Trinity 9.3 Conclusion 268 Chapter 10 Summary and Conclusion: The Eucharist As Pledge of 270 Future Glory 10.1 Overview of our exploration and findings 274 10.2 The Eucharist as pledge of future glory 281 Selected Bibliography i Thesis Abstract The Eucharist is preeminently the sacrament of Christian hope. It is a foretaste of the eschatological banquet. Saint Thomas Aquinas, in the antiphon for the Magnificat on the feast of Corpus Christi, described the Eucharist as the pledge of future glory. It contains within it the memorial of Christ’s Passover and the anticipation of his coming in glory. Filled with hope, Christians celebrate the Eucharist as “a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us” in anticipation. (Sacrosanctum Concilium, par. 47). How this eschatological consciousness is related to the Eucharist is a question that deserves further exploration. While some authors have touched on the subject, there has been no systematic treatment of this theme since Geoffrey Wainwright’s Eucharist and Eschatology. Our thesis explores the contemporary insights into Eucharistic eschatology of Hans Urs von Balthasar, Francois-Xavier Durrwell, Gustave Martelet, and Louis-Marie Chauvet. We shall situate our study in terms of a current philosophical-phenomenological context of hope as explored by Gabriel Marcel and Ernst Bloch, and the questions of gift as discussed in the works of Robyn Horner, Jacques Derrida, Jean-Luc Marion and David Power.
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