Real Presence: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Real Presence is a term encapsulating belief that Jesus Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the Eucharist. This is a Christian doctrine regarding Holy Communion, maintained in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox faith.

The nature of Communion and its meaning have been one of the primary sources of theological disputes among Christians since the early 16th century. Prior to that the professed faith was in the literalness of Jesus' recorded words, "this is my body" and "this is my blood". Since literal wine and literal bread are manifestly not the literal body and blood of Jesus or any other human being, for this message to have literal truth would require a miracle — that the bread and wine must change into the body and blood of Jesus. According to the doctrine of transubstantiation this is in fact what happens, although they retain the accidents (outward appearance) of bread and wine. In a doctrine called consubstantiation, the elements retain their nature as bread and wine as well. Traditionally, transubstansiation is associated with Roman Catholicism and consubstansiation with Lutheranism, but both are adhered to by many Christians outside of these two faith traditions, and both can be said to be varieties of the doctrine of Real Presence.

In the Reformed tradition, Communion (more frequently called the Lord's Supper or the Lord's Table) is a symbolic meal, a memorialization of the Last Supper and the Passion in which nothing miraculous occurs. For this reason, many of these groups allow the administration of the Supper by laymen. These groups do not accept the doctrine of the Real Presence.