Grace and Gratitude: The Eucharistic Theology of John Calvin

This book is the first major study of Calvin’s doctrine of the Lord’s Supper in twenty-five years and the first attempt to show the eucharistic shape of Calvin’s entire theology. The core of Calvin’s doctrine of the Eucharist is the analogy of feeding on Christ, the Bread of Life. This analogy, argues Gerrish, links Calvin’s thoughts to the Holy Banquet with the rest of his theology. The systematic character of Calvin’s theology rests in part on his consistent understanding of God as father and fountain of good and his conception of the gospel as the message of free adoption. The father’s liberality in feeding his children and their answering gratitude (or lack of it) is a thread that runs through Calvin’s entire summary of piety; creation, the work of Christ, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.