Project – Theological Evaluation of the Doctrine of the Eucharist in the Anglican Church: Implications for Spiritual Growth among Church Members in Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The Eucharist occupies a central position in Christian worship and theology, representing one of the most significant sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ during the Last Supper. Throughout Christian history, the doctrine of the Eucharist has served not merely as a liturgical observance but also as a profound expression of Christ’s redemptive work, the unity of believers, and the ongoing spiritual nourishment of the Church. The New Testament records Jesus commanding His disciples to continue the celebration of the Eucharist in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). Consequently, the Eucharist has become a defining feature of Christian identity across various traditions, although differing theological interpretations have emerged regarding its meaning, significance, and administration (McGrath, 2023).

The word Eucharist originates from the Greek term eucharistia, meaning “thanksgiving.” It refers to the sacramental meal in which bread and wine are consecrated and shared among believers in remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While Roman Catholic theology emphasizes transubstantiation, many Protestant traditions interpret the Eucharist symbolically or spiritually. The Anglican Church adopts a distinctive theological position often described as the doctrine of the “Real Presence,” affirming that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist without defining the precise metaphysical manner of that presence (Avis, 2018). This theological balance reflects Anglicanism’s historical commitment to Scripture, tradition, and reason as articulated through the Elizabethan Settlement and later Anglican formularies.

The Anglican understanding of the Eucharist is deeply rooted in Scripture and the historical development of the early Church. Biblical passages such as Matthew 26:26–29, Mark 14:22–25, Luke 22:14–20, John 6:51–58, and 1 Corinthians 10:16–17 establish the theological foundation upon which Anglican Eucharistic doctrine is built. These passages emphasize remembrance, communion, sacrifice, thanksgiving, covenant renewal, and participation in the body and blood of Christ. The Anglican Church interprets these texts within the broader context of apostolic tradition, recognizing the Eucharist as both a memorial of Christ’s sacrifice and a means through which believers experience spiritual communion with the risen Christ (The Anglican Communion Office, 2022).

Historically, debates surrounding Eucharistic theology became particularly significant during the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. Reformers such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli proposed differing interpretations of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. The Church of England sought to avoid theological extremes by adopting a mediating position expressed in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, particularly Article XXVIII, which rejects both transubstantiation and a purely symbolic understanding while affirming the spiritual reception of Christ by faith (Booty, 2017). This balanced theological approach has continued to shape Anglican sacramental life globally, including in Nigeria.

The Anglican Church in Nigeria, operating under the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), has experienced remarkable numerical and spiritual growth over the past five decades. As one of the largest Anglican provinces worldwide, the Church continues to emphasize biblical orthodoxy, evangelical spirituality, liturgical worship, and sacramental theology. Eucharistic celebrations form an indispensable aspect of parish worship, diocesan conventions, confirmations, ordinations, and major ecclesiastical festivals. Within Nigerian Anglicanism, participation in Holy Communion is regarded as a means of receiving God’s grace, strengthening faith, promoting Christian fellowship, and renewing commitment to holy living (Church of Nigeria, 2020).

Theologically, the Eucharist is understood as one of the two dominical sacraments explicitly instituted by Christ, alongside Baptism. According to Anglican theology, the sacrament serves as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. The Book of Common Prayer continues to provide the liturgical framework for Eucharistic celebrations, emphasizing confession, thanksgiving, consecration, communion, and dismissal into Christian service. These liturgical elements reinforce Anglican beliefs concerning repentance, forgiveness, sanctification, and discipleship (The Book of Common Prayer, 1662/2019).

Spiritual growth constitutes one of the principal objectives of Christian discipleship. It refers to the progressive transformation of believers into the likeness of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, regular engagement with Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and participation in the sacraments (Willard, 2018). Within Anglican spirituality, the Eucharist is viewed not simply as a ritual obligation but as an essential means through which believers continually receive divine grace necessary for spiritual maturity. Through faithful participation, Christians are expected to experience deeper communion with God, increased holiness, stronger commitment to Christian service, and greater unity with fellow believers.

Modern theological scholarship increasingly recognizes the formative role of sacramental worship in shaping Christian identity. Smith (2021) argues that Christian worship practices, including Eucharistic participation, shape believers’ desires, moral formation, and worldview through repeated liturgical engagement. Rather than functioning merely as symbolic ceremonies, liturgical practices influence character formation and spiritual habits that extend into everyday Christian living.

In the Nigerian context, however, rapid social transformation, urbanization, economic hardship, secularization, and denominational competition have significantly influenced patterns of Christian worship and spirituality. While attendance at Eucharistic services remains relatively high in many Anglican congregations, concerns have emerged regarding the depth of theological understanding among church members. Many communicants participate regularly in Holy Communion without adequate knowledge of its biblical foundations, doctrinal significance, or implications for Christian living. In some instances, the Eucharist is perceived primarily as a religious obligation, ceremonial tradition, or means of receiving divine protection rather than as a transformative encounter with Christ (Kalu, 2008).

Furthermore, contemporary Nigerian Christianity has witnessed increasing emphasis on prosperity teachings, miracle-centered worship, and experiential spirituality in certain contexts. These developments sometimes overshadow classical sacramental theology by shifting attention from covenantal communion with Christ toward immediate material expectations. Consequently, some Anglican members may approach the Eucharist with limited appreciation for its role in sanctification, covenant renewal, reconciliation, and spiritual formation. Such tendencies raise important theological questions concerning the relationship between Eucharistic doctrine and authentic Christian growth within Anglican congregations.

The doctrine of the Eucharist also carries significant ecclesiological implications. Participation in Holy Communion symbolizes the unity of the Body of Christ and reinforces mutual accountability among believers. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that participation in one bread signifies the unity of the Church (1 Corinthians 10:17). Therefore, Eucharistic theology extends beyond individual spirituality to encompass communal identity, reconciliation, social responsibility, and Christian witness. Within the Anglican Church in Nigeria, where congregations consist of diverse ethnic, social, and educational backgrounds, the Eucharist provides an important theological foundation for promoting unity and mutual love.

Contemporary Anglican theologians further argue that Eucharistic theology possesses ethical dimensions affecting social justice, compassion, stewardship, and mission. Receiving Christ sacramentally calls believers to embody Christ’s love in society through acts of service, forgiveness, humility, and justice (Wright, 2018). Consequently, the Eucharist should produce observable transformation in believers’ lifestyles, relationships, and commitment to the mission of the Church.

Despite the centrality of the Eucharist within Anglican worship, empirical theological studies examining how church members understand Eucharistic doctrine and how such understanding influences their spiritual growth remain relatively limited within the Nigerian context. Much existing scholarship has concentrated on historical development, liturgical practices, ecumenical dialogue, or comparative sacramental theology, with comparatively less attention given to evaluating the practical spiritual implications of Eucharistic doctrine among ordinary Anglican worshippers.

Against this background, this study seeks to undertake a theological evaluation of the doctrine of the Eucharist in the Anglican Church and examine its implications for the spiritual growth of church members in Nigeria. The study intends to contribute to theological scholarship by bridging doctrinal reflection with practical Christian spirituality and ecclesial formation.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The doctrine of the Eucharist remains one of the foundational teachings of the Anglican Church and occupies a central place in its liturgical and sacramental life. Anglican worship consistently emphasizes Holy Communion as a means through which believers remember Christ’s atoning sacrifice, receive spiritual nourishment, strengthen fellowship with God and fellow Christians, and grow in holiness. Consequently, regular participation in the Eucharist is expected to contribute significantly to the spiritual formation and maturity of church members.

Despite this theological emphasis, observations within many Anglican congregations in Nigeria suggest that the transformative influence traditionally associated with the Eucharist is not always evident in the lives of communicants. While large numbers of church members regularly participate in Holy Communion services, varying levels of biblical knowledge, inconsistent Christian conduct, declining commitment to discipleship, moral challenges, interpersonal conflicts, and limited understanding of Anglican sacramental theology continue to be observed in many congregations. These realities raise concerns regarding whether participation in the Eucharist is accompanied by adequate doctrinal understanding capable of producing genuine spiritual transformation.

Another concern relates to the growing influence of contemporary religious trends within Nigerian Christianity. Increasing emphasis on prosperity preaching, miracle expectations, emotional worship experiences, and media-driven Christianity has, in some cases, shifted attention away from historic sacramental theology. As a result, some Anglican members may approach the Eucharist primarily as a ritual for divine protection, healing, or blessing rather than as a covenantal participation in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ that demands repentance, holiness, reconciliation, and faithful discipleship.

Existing studies on the Eucharist have largely focused on biblical exegesis, historical development, ecumenical dialogue, or comparative doctrinal analysis between Christian traditions. While these studies have enriched theological understanding, relatively few have specifically examined how the Anglican doctrine of the Eucharist influences the spiritual growth of ordinary church members in the Nigerian context. This represents a contextual and practical gap in the literature, as insufficient attention has been paid to the relationship between doctrinal understanding and observable spiritual development among Anglican communicants in Nigeria.

Additionally, many catechetical programmes and confirmation classes concentrate on introducing church doctrines without adequately assessing whether members internalize Eucharistic theology in ways that shape their daily Christian living, ethical conduct, commitment to worship, service, and mission. Without such evaluation, it becomes difficult for church leaders to determine whether existing teaching methods effectively achieve the intended spiritual outcomes of Anglican sacramental life.

It is against these theological, pastoral, and contextual concerns that this study becomes necessary. The study seeks to evaluate the doctrine of the Eucharist as understood within the Anglican Church and examine its implications for the spiritual growth of church members in Nigeria. By addressing the identified contextual and practical gaps, the findings are expected to provide insights that can strengthen theological education, catechetical instruction, pastoral ministry, and discipleship within the Anglican Church.

1.3 Aim of the Study

The aim of this study is to evaluate the doctrine of the Eucharist in the Anglican Church and examine its implications for the spiritual growth of church members in Nigeria.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the biblical and theological foundations of the doctrine of the Eucharist in the Anglican Church;
2. assess church members’ understanding of the doctrine of the Eucharist in selected Anglican churches in Nigeria;
3. examine the influence of participation in the Eucharist on the spiritual growth of Anglican church members; and
4. identify the challenges affecting the effective understanding and practice of the doctrine of the Eucharist among Anglican church members in Nigeria.

1.5 Research Questions

1. What are the biblical and theological foundations of the doctrine of the Eucharist in the Anglican Church?
2. To what extent do Anglican church members understand the doctrine of the Eucharist?
3. How does participation in the Eucharist influence the spiritual growth of Anglican church members?
4. What challenges affect the effective understanding and practice of the doctrine of the Eucharist among Anglican church members in Nigeria?

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to Anglican clergy, theological educators, seminarians, catechists, church members, Christian scholars, and researchers. It will deepen theological understanding of Eucharistic doctrine, strengthen sacramental teaching, improve discipleship programmes, and provide evidence-based recommendations for enhancing members’ spiritual formation. The findings may also contribute to Anglican theological education and enrich the broader discourse on sacramental theology and Christian spirituality in Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on the theological evaluation of the doctrine of the Eucharist in the Anglican Church and its implications for the spiritual growth of church members in Nigeria. The study covers the biblical, historical, and doctrinal foundations of the Eucharist, church members’ understanding of the doctrine, the influence of Eucharistic participation on spiritual growth, and challenges affecting its effective practice. Geographically, the study will be limited to selected Anglican churches in Nigeria.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Theological Evaluation: A systematic examination of a Christian doctrine in light of Scripture, Anglican tradition, and theological scholarship.

Doctrine of the Eucharist: The Anglican teaching concerning Holy Communion as a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ through which believers spiritually participate in His body and blood, remember His sacrifice, and receive divine grace.

Eucharist: The sacrament of Holy Communion celebrated in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, involving the consecration and reception of bread and wine.

Anglican Church: The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and its congregations that adhere to Anglican doctrine, worship, and ecclesiastical tradition.

Spiritual Growth: The progressive development of believers in Christian faith, holiness, obedience, discipleship, and conformity to the character of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Church Members: Baptized and confirmed members of the Anglican Church who regularly participate in worship and sacramental life.

Project – Theological Evaluation of the Doctrine of the Eucharist in the Anglican Church: Implications for Spiritual Growth among Church Members in Nigeria