Material Eucharist

A constructive contribution to a theology of the sacrament. * Christopher A. Stephenson, Religious Studies Review *
Material Eucharist will enrich not only the work of scholars of Christian liturgy and sacramental theology, but also those with a more general interest in materiality, and in ritual as a foundational category in human life and society. That Grumett's book both broadens and deepens our sense of this central Christian observance is quite an achievement. * Andrew Davison, Times Literary Supplement *
In this exploration of the material elements of eucharist, Grumett shows the significance of the eucharist for Christian life in the world... * Ruth A Meyers, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Anglican and Episcopal History *
Material Eucharist is a book worth reading...Its sheer data regarding eucharistic practices is dense, yet will introduce a new world to some readers, as will its deployment of Syrian and Byzantine theology...Grummet is lifting up such sources in service to a eucharistic ontology of considerable beauty and coherence that challenges the worst inclinations of modernity to denigrate and desecrate both creation and humanity. * James Farwell, Virginia Theological Seminary, Anglican Theological Review *
Grumett's text is both thoughtful and thorough. Material Eucharist is an important offering for theologians, pastors, and laity alike. ... there remains something for everyone in their consideration of how the Eucharist may be received, the importance of its creation, its transformation of both individual believers and communities, and the manner in which it may offer a renewed ground for ecumenical discussions. * Sara E. Evans, Reading Religion *
David Grumett focuses his attention, bringing his encyclopaedic knowledge to bear upon the materiality of the Eucharist and drawing widely from different epochs and cultural contexts to write this book of what is styled as 'constructive theology'...huge gains are made by the author's investigation of such diverse sources [...] What this exceptionally erudite book succeeds in doing is to restore the long-neglected category of materiality in our eucharistic thinking and practice. * Christopher Irvine, Canterbury Cathedral, Theology *
Grumett's text is both thoughtful and thorough. Material Eucharist is an important offering for theologians, pastors, and laity alike. ... there remains something for everyone in their consideration of how the Eucharist may be received, the importance of its creation, its transformation of both individual believers and communities, and the manner in which it may offer a renewed ground for ecumenical discussions. * Sara E. Evans, Reading Religion *
[Grumett's] erudite and intriguing work ... plently to sink one's teeth into here. * Mark Smith, Churchman *
Disagreement concerning the Eucharist has been the cause of division, excommunication, and even bloodshed among Christians, and Grumett does not ignore the ugliness of this history. Nevertheless, the book makes a compelling case that Christians can learn how to think about the Eucharist from one another, even if we do not share the same commitments. For this reason, Material Eucharist is a fantastic read for theologians, pastors, and seminarians who wish to further understand the tremendous diversity of practices and beliefs that surround this holy meal. * Andrew Thompson Scales, Homiletic *
[T]his is a book that I judge will be indispensable for all those writing henceforth about Eucharistic theology, both because of what Grumett affirms and for the responses which he evokes. He succeeds triumphantly in showing that the Eucharist is the coming of Christ in embodied form in the embodied lives of those who receive him, drawing them deeper into the whole created world. * Paul Fiddes, Ecclesiology *