meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Catholic Answers Live

#12342 Who Thought the Eucharist Was Just Symbolic? Early Church Beliefs and Transubstantiation - Joe Heschmeyer

Catholic Answers Live

Catholic Answers

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2025

⏱️ ? minutes

Summary

“Who Thought the Eucharist Was Just Symbolic? ” This episode delves into the early Church’s beliefs about the Eucharist, exploring questions like the origins of the symbolic view and whether early Church Fathers spoke symbolically. We also tackle the significance of “breaking bread” in the early Church and the implications of transubstantiation.

Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here

Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com

Questions Covered:

  • 03:30 – Where did the symbolic view of the Eucharist come from?
  • 05:13 – Didn’t some early Church Fathers speak symbolically about the Eucharist? Doesn’t that challenge the idea of unanimous early belief?
  • 07:30 – Didn’t the disciples fail to object during the Last Supper because they understood Jesus metaphorically?
  • 09:00 – If “breaking bread” was common in the early Church, doesn’t that just suggest a fellowship meal, not a literal body and blood?
  • 15:25 – The Eucharist doesn’t seem to do anything to believers?
  • 20:30 – How Do I Properly Receive the Eucharist?
  • 21:50 – How does transubstantiation actually work—and why does it rely on medieval Aristotelian philosophy rather than Scripture?
  • 29:05 – How do we know that the early Church actually believed in transubstantiation and not just a spiritual or symbolic presence? Why does the Catholic View win out?
  • 35:22 – The priesthood is against going directly to God. We don’t need Earthly priests.
  • 42:20 – Does the Eucharist cause more division than Unity?
  • 48:08 – Is the Eucharist just an adaptation of pagan rituals?

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

Transcript available soon

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Catholic Answers, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Catholic Answers and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.