an body, dependant on nourishment; that is, the continuous transmutation of material of the world into the human body. Belgakov touches on St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. John of Damascus, who compared the natural transmutation of food when it is eaten with the Eucharistic transmutation at the Last Supper, which the Lord effected independently. At this point, God's omnipotence causes the bread and wine that were not eaten by Christ and consequently not received into His body and blood to be received and consecrated. The views in opposition to Roman Catholic beliefs presented in The Holy Grail and the Eucharist forces one to re-examine their beliefs and to fully understand their actions in partaking in the sacrament of the Eucharist. While the reading merely outlined the major points of the sacrament, Belgakov's book is very specific in its analysis of not only the meaning of the sacrament in the Orthodox tradition, but the importance of historical influence (i.e. Aristotle and Aquinas) in shaping modern theology. Belgakov goes into explicit detail in regards to the different beliefs in what happens to the bread and wine during the Eucharist and the true meaning of transubstantiation, transmutation, etc.Especially interesting was the connections the author made between the sacrament and specific biblical references, which were different from those mentioned in the McBrien text. The references to live and natural transmutation that has its basis in a divine institution refer back to Genesis 1:29-30 as well as the transmutation as the Lord's body grew in Luke 2:40 called upon images very different from that of the Last Supper which is usually suggested to by the Eucharist. Although Father Sergius Belgakov argues against Catholic theology, if one can read and comprehend his ideas, yet still reaffirm their faith in the Catholic Church, it is an indication not of blind faith, but of true understanding and a meaningful relationship with t...
