Reinterpreting the Eucharist: Explorations in Feminist Theology and Ethics

Gender, Theology and Spirituality

by Anne Elvey (Editor), Carol Hogan (Editor), Kim Power (Editor)

The Eucharist continues to be central to contemporary Christian religious tradition and to be the focus for a wide range of assumptions and disputes. Chief amongst these disputes is the role of women in the theology and the ritual of the Eucharist. Reinterpreting the Eucharist brings together a diverse range of voices with each using their own marginalized experience to explore other ways – indigenous culture, medieval and contemporary art, social history, and environmental ethics – of engaging with the Eucharist. Presenting new forms of theological and ethical engagement, the book responds to the challenge of reconsidering the meaning of the Eucharist today.

236 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2012

Reviews

[Deborah Brunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using the eucharist as a central theme for these essays, women explore embodiment, Jesus, hospitality, culture, art, The Christa, childbirth, community and memorial. It is a beautiful treasure trove for anyone wanting to expand their understanding of eucharist, of giving thanks, of holy communion, of community. At the same time they question women’s exclusion and marginalisation from offering eucharist, of it being held in a priestly realm when they see women in the gospels and in their own bodies these eucharistic consecrations and offerings. 

There are far too many diverse amazing gems to share here but of particular note is Anne Elvey’s concluding essay: ‘Living one for the other, Eucharistic hospitality as ecological hospitality.’ 
She traces the repetitive accounts in all the gospels of ‘taking, giving thanks, breaking and giving’ and offers this as a eucharistic hospitality, that as we live in this manner as members of an earth community that already eucharistically sustains us, we are impelled to live one for the other.