A Christian sacrament commemorating Jesus's last meal with his disciples, involving the consumption of bread and wine or bread and grape juice.
From Greek 'eucharistia' (thanksgiving), from 'eu' (well) + 'charis' (grace/thanks), literally 'good grace.' The term entered Christianity in the 1st-2nd centuries and evolved to describe the central Christian ritual.
Different Christian churches have wildly different beliefs about what exactly happens to the bread and wine during the Eucharist—some think it literally transforms into Christ's body, others think it's purely symbolic, and this disagreement literally split Christianity apart!
Eucharist derives from Greek eucharistia (gratitude); historically administered and theologized exclusively by male clergy in most Christian traditions. This linguistic pattern reinforced male-only spiritual authority over a central religious practice.
Use 'Eucharist' neutrally when discussing Christian theology and practice. Note: clergy inclusion is now broader in many denominations.
["Communion","breaking of bread","holy sacrament"]
Women theologians and scholars (e.g., Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza) have recovered women's roles in early Christian communal meals and challenged male-only interpretative authority over sacramental meaning.
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