Lord's Supper : A Comparative Literature Study on the Eucharist in Svenska kyrkan, Pingst and Jehovah's Witnesses

The aim of this essay is to examine the eucharist in three denominations of Christianity, namely Svenska kyrkan, Pingst and Jehovah’s witnesses. These groups are examined individually, followed by a comparison of the different views of the eucharist. The information the examination is based on are different official documents provided by the named denominations’ theologians and elders for both members of the church as well as the public. The comparison is followed by a discussion about the relationship between the denominations’ view on eucharist and their ecclesiology, i.e. their view of the church. The results show that the differences between them are much due to the sources they use to support their claims as well as their individual history. The similarities are found to be due to a general desire to unite all members of the congregation and to let everyone take part in a collective connection with Christ regardless of whether or not the partakers roles in the church. The discussion about the relationship between the three denominations’ relationships between eucharist and ecclesiology show that the eucharist is a somewhat good representation of the general denominations’ views. This conclusion aligns with the view of Scott W. Bullard’s research about the relationship between the eucharist and the church, where the result is that the eucharist is a foundation of the church’s construction and organization.