Abstract

Thorp, Luke If one were to undertake an enquiry as to what constituted early Christian eucharistic spirituality in the church, both East and West, in the first seven centuries, an immediate problem would be encountered-in fact, several problems. The first would be that for the Christians of the first seven centuries, spirituality and theology were synonymous. One did not exist without the other; they were part of a seamless garment. The second issue would be that the term 'eucharistic spirituality' is a relatively modern one and difficult to retroactively apply to a previous age. The third issue that one would encounter would be the fact that any spirituality or theology is never formed in a vacuum: time, place, people and experience all play a role in developing unique spiritual expressions. The legacy that Ignatius of Antioch leaves us in relation to the Eucharist differs markedly from that of either Maximus the Confessor or John Chrysostom. While it might seem trite to suggest this, it is important for a twenty-first century mindset to be reminded of it in order to better appreciate and enter more fully into a eucharistic spirituality.