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Climbing Jacob's ladder: John Calvin and the early church on our eucharistic ascent to heaven

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2003

Christopher B. Kaiser
Christopher B. Kaiser
Affiliation:
Western Theological Seminary, 101 East 13th Street, Holland, MI 49423, [email protected]
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Abstract

In debate with Roman Catholics and Lutherans about the physical presence of Christ in the eucharistic elements, Calvin argued that, since Christ had ascended into heaven (i.e. the spiritual realm or kingdom of God), we must not look for him on the table but ‘lift up our hearts’ to heaven and seek him there. The idea is well known to Calvin scholars, but it still raises many questions. Can Calvin mean that our souls are literally raised up to heaven? Are we supposed to experience some sort of heavenly elevation? And, if this notion is so strange to us, even those of us in Calvinist circles, how was it so readily available to Calvin and his readers? To answer these questions, we shall examine the texts more closely and inquire into their patristic background.

Type
Research Article
Information
Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 56 , Issue 3 , August 2003 , pp. 247 - 267
Copyright
© Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 2003

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Footnotes

This paper was first delivered on 10 August 1998 at the Lutheran and Reformed Theological Conference for Ministers, Teachers, and Students at Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota.