what is the Anglican view of the Sacrament of Communion?

what is the Anglican view of the Sacrament of Communion?

I'm Catholic and not Anglican, but as far as I know, Anglicans believe in "consubstantiation" -- the idea that the Body and Blood of Christ are present in the Eucharist along with the bread and wine, which are still present.

We Catholics, on the other hand, believe in "transubstantiation" -- which holds that the bread and wine are entirely transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Once transubstantiation occurs (that is, once the priest consecrates the bread and wine), the bread and wine essentially cease to exist. They are now fully the Body and Blood of Christ.

well the opening prayer (if I remember correctly) in the Anglican Church states belief in the Holy Roman Catholic Church and I know Anglicans take communion, I expect it's much the same except that Anglicans can divorce.

Anglicans have it correctly! They believe that it is a commemorative thing and that JESUS only had to do it once!

Gee... Three answers so far and all are right and all are wrong.

Anglicanism (in the U.S. known as the Episcopal Church) does not have a hard and steady view of "what happens" during Holy Communion. 100 Anglicans can go up to take Communion with 100 different opinions on what is exactly taking place.

Many of us do not have the well defined interpretation of Communion that Roman Catholics and Lutherans have (trans substantiation and consubstantiation)... though some of us do. We do believe that Jesus' sacrifice was "once offered" but many of us also see ourselves partaking in that sacrifice at the Communion rail... though some don't. You may attend an Anglican service at one church that seems more "Romish" than the Pope one Sunday and then attend a casual Communion service more in tune with a modern fundamentalist church at another Episcopal/Anglican church another Sunday.

The 39 Articles of the Church of England put together in the 16Th century (and adapted by the U.S. Episcopal Church in 1801) present a somewhat Reformed view of how Anglicans see Communion. This document's 28Th article states:

"The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but rather it is a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christ's death: insomuch that to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith, receive the same, the Bread which we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ; and likewise the Cup of Blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ.

Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthrowing the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions.

The Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is Faith.

The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshiped."
http://anglicansonline.org/basics/thirty-nine_articles.html

However movements toward a more catholic view of theology (without the Roman in front and with a small "c" instead of a capital "C") through Anglican history have slowly moved many Anglicans toward a more "real presence" understanding.

This is stated well in this article from Wikipedia:

"official writings of the Churches of the Anglican Communion have consistently upheld belief in the Real Presence. Some recent Anglican writers explicitly accept the doctrine of transubstantiation, or, while avoiding the term "transubstantiation", speak of an "objective presence" of Christ in the Eucharist. On the other hand, others hold views, such as consubstantiation or "pneumatic presence", close to those of Reformed Protestant Churches."

It's not a clear picture... But then holy mysteries rarely are. Personally I think what it really boils down to is your personal relationship with God/Christ when you approach Communion in an Anglican/Episcopal Church....

How do you:

--- "view" him in the Eucharist

---see him in the "communion of saints (and sinners)" of others around you and those who have gone before you,

---and... especially.... how you see him acting in yourself? That's the most important part of the "real presence".... his presence in you.

My opinion... that of one of the 100 going up to the Communion rail on Sunday.

Bill

Iam not sure of the Anglican view, but our church's view is this "Communion is partaking of the Lord's supper as He commanded us to "do this as often as you come together in remembrance of me."
Water represents the cleansing or washing away of sins. wine represents His blood which He shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.
Everyone is supposed to examine him/herself before partaking of the Lord's supper as anyone who drinks the wine or eats the bread unworthily, he/she will have to bear his/her judgment