What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mystical Presence: A Vindication of the Reformed or Calvinistic Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist
316 pages, Hardcover
Published December 28, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 21, 2026
This book really opened my eyes to the 16th century Reformed view of the Lord's Supper. While growing up in a SBC context, I only viewed the sacraments as memorials. After shifting into more of a Reformed mindset and eventually becoming Presbyterian, I understood that the sacraments were means of grace and that Christ was really working in them, but I did not have a fully orbed understanding of what this meant. After reading this book, I have a stronger grasp as to what is really happening in the Holy Eucharist, to wit, a true feeding on the flesh and blood of Christ.
To the lowercase "r" reformed reader, this may appear to be the Romanist view of transubstantiation or similar to the Lutheran view of Christ being "in, with, and under" the elements (Lutherans hate the term "consubstantiation"). Nevertheless, the Reformed were careful to articulate that this feeding is not corporeal, nor via the instruments of the hand and mouth, rather it is a spiritual feeding and the organ receiving the body and blood is the soul through the working of faith and the Power of the Holy Ghost. Yet, this feeding is still a true feeding on Christ's flesh and blood, not only feeding on his divinity and soul separately taken from his humanity and body, but it involves His whole person. See Rev. Nevin below:
"We communicate, in the Lord's supper, not with the divine promise merely, not with the thought of Christ only, not with the recollection simply of what he has done and suffered for us, not with the lively present sense alone of his all-sufficient, all-glorious salvation; but with the living Saviour himself, in the fulness of his glorified person, made present to us for the purpose by the power of the Holy Ghost."
Nevin first presents the Reformed doctrine of the Lord's Supper, examines the history of it in the Reformed confessions and prominent Reformed writers & Church Fathers, critiques the "modern puritan" view of his day (19th century), addresses the philosophy of the Reformed mode of eating, and then gives his biblical argument.
The examination of the history of the Reformed view was my favorite section and demonstrates that all of the Reformed confessions embrace a true feeding on Christ in His whole Person, so as to become more and more united to Him, that we may be "bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh". See WLC and Belgic Confession below:
"Q. 170. How do they that worthily communicate in the Lord’s Supper feed upon the body and blood of Christ therein?
A. A. the body and blood of Christ are not corporally or carnally present in, with, or under the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper; and yet are spiritually present to the faith of the receiver, no less truly and really than the elements themselves are to their outward senses; so they that worthily communicate in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ, not after a corporal or carnal, but in a spiritual manner; yet truly and really, while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death."
"Yet we do not go wrong when we say
that what is eaten is Christ’s own natural body
and what is drunk is his own blood—
but the manner in which we eat it
is not by the mouth, but by the Spirit
through faith."
I gave the book 4 stars, not because of the content, but because the editing was really poor. Several typos exist that made it difficult to read (at least in the paperback copy). I recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand more about the Eucharist from the Reformed lens.
To the lowercase "r" reformed reader, this may appear to be the Romanist view of transubstantiation or similar to the Lutheran view of Christ being "in, with, and under" the elements (Lutherans hate the term "consubstantiation"). Nevertheless, the Reformed were careful to articulate that this feeding is not corporeal, nor via the instruments of the hand and mouth, rather it is a spiritual feeding and the organ receiving the body and blood is the soul through the working of faith and the Power of the Holy Ghost. Yet, this feeding is still a true feeding on Christ's flesh and blood, not only feeding on his divinity and soul separately taken from his humanity and body, but it involves His whole person. See Rev. Nevin below:
"We communicate, in the Lord's supper, not with the divine promise merely, not with the thought of Christ only, not with the recollection simply of what he has done and suffered for us, not with the lively present sense alone of his all-sufficient, all-glorious salvation; but with the living Saviour himself, in the fulness of his glorified person, made present to us for the purpose by the power of the Holy Ghost."
Nevin first presents the Reformed doctrine of the Lord's Supper, examines the history of it in the Reformed confessions and prominent Reformed writers & Church Fathers, critiques the "modern puritan" view of his day (19th century), addresses the philosophy of the Reformed mode of eating, and then gives his biblical argument.
The examination of the history of the Reformed view was my favorite section and demonstrates that all of the Reformed confessions embrace a true feeding on Christ in His whole Person, so as to become more and more united to Him, that we may be "bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh". See WLC and Belgic Confession below:
"Q. 170. How do they that worthily communicate in the Lord’s Supper feed upon the body and blood of Christ therein?
A. A. the body and blood of Christ are not corporally or carnally present in, with, or under the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper; and yet are spiritually present to the faith of the receiver, no less truly and really than the elements themselves are to their outward senses; so they that worthily communicate in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ, not after a corporal or carnal, but in a spiritual manner; yet truly and really, while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death."
"Yet we do not go wrong when we say
that what is eaten is Christ’s own natural body
and what is drunk is his own blood—
but the manner in which we eat it
is not by the mouth, but by the Spirit
through faith."
I gave the book 4 stars, not because of the content, but because the editing was really poor. Several typos exist that made it difficult to read (at least in the paperback copy). I recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand more about the Eucharist from the Reformed lens.
Displaying 1 of 1 review