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Ben Witherington
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Making a Meal of It: Rethinking the Theology of the Lord's Supper Hardcover – November 1, 2007

by Ben Witherington III (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 21 ratings
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Making a Meal of It explores the background and implication of the Lord's Supper. Delving into its historical and Scriptural origins, Witherington argues that the Lord's Supper is a sacramental celebration of the community of God, designed to incorporate people of varying backgrounds. Excavating the diverse ways in which Scripture and early Christian tradition speak about the Lord's Supper, Witherington advocates that the meal is primarily about who the people of God are and how they should thus live together.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    160 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Baylor Univ Pr
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1602580154
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1602580152
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

This is the finest book on the Lord's Supper that I have read. Witherington not only provides a helpful discussion of the key passages in their respective historical contexts (something he does so well), but also provides compelling answers to many of the crucial issues. --Clinton E. Arnold, Professor and Chairman, Department of New Testament, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

In Making a Meal of It, Ben Witherington provides a competent guide to the numerous complexities surrounding the Lord's Supper, one that, in the end, helps the reader to understand this central Christian ceremony as something much more than either magic or mere symbolism. From socio-cultural background information to incisive exegetical observations, from careful historical survey to very practical application; this book will benefit anyone who desires to better understand-and more fully experience-the true kingdom mystery of the Lord's Supper. --Paul Rhodes Eddy, Professor of Biblical & Systematic Theology, Bethel University

About the Author

Ben Witherington (Ph.D. Durham) is Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary and the author of more than 20 books, including The Problem with Evangelical Theology (Baylor University Press 2005) and Troubled Waters: Rethinking the Theology of Baptism (Baylor University Press 2007).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Baylor Univ Pr; First Edition (November 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1602580154
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1602580152
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

About the author

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Ben Witherington

Ben Witherington

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Bible scholar Ben Witherington is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is now considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS, a society dedicated to New Testament studies.

Witherington has also taught at Ashland Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University, Duke Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell. A popular lecturer, Witherington has presented seminars for churches, colleges and biblical meetings not only in the United States but also in England, Estonia, Russia, Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia. He has also led tours to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.

Witherington has written over thirty books, including The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest, both of which were selected as top biblical studies works by Christianity Today. He also writes for many church and scholarly publications, and is a frequent contributor to the Beliefnet website.

Along with many interviews on radio networks across the country, Witherington has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&E, and the PAX Network.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
21 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

jdb
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites on the study of this sacrament
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2012
Verified Purchase
I am fascinated by the sacraments of the Christian church and the Lord's Supper/Communion/Eucharist is one that brings much discussion across the various streams and traditions of the Christian faith. I'm always on the lookout for good sources of information on sacramental theology, so I was pretty delighted to get my hands on this work by Ben Witherington III for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is Dr. Witherington's academic reputation.

I have several books devoted to the subject of the Lord's Supper; I have even more books with information inclusive of this specific sacrament, and I have a number of loose articles and commentary about the subject saved in various places in my home office. The point to these claims is that I have been collecting information for quite some time. Here is what I have found; Making a Meal of it by Ben Witherington III is one of the best researched and written pieces on this subject that I have found and read to date. There are several points that I wish to highlight in justifying my opinion.

First, for an academic work, the book is not bogged down with academic language. It is easy to read and it is a relatively short read, coming in at one hundred sixty pages. It is also linear in that it follows a timeline of sorts beginning with the perceived history of this sacrament and ending with contemporary interpretation/opinion.

Secondly, while I think no published work is completely unbiased, this one seemed predominantly "fact-based" and relatively easy to fact check. I have read and own several books from the pen of Dr. Witherington and am a regular subscriber to his blog. I think he can be opinionated at times, and being familiar with his writing style, I can report this book is not overly biased or opinionated.

Finally, the book is engaging... it is more conversational, "discussion-like" and less textbook than I would have expected. It can easily be read in an afternoon or two, but in no way is the material "light" of depth or content... facts, figures, and historical content are all present, but in a very readable, attention holding format.

In conclusion, I am still researching and learning about the depth and breadth of all the key sacraments of the church. I do not presume this book to be the definitive voice in my quest for information and understanding, but I will lend my voice to say it is one of the very best that I have found to this date.

Making a Meal of It is one of three books by Ben Witherington III in a series on the primary sacraments of the church. Other titles include Troubled Waters: Rethinking the Theology of Baptism and The Living Word of God: Rethinking the Theology of the Bible. Bible scholar Ben Witherington is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. He is now considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS, a society dedicated to New Testament studies.
3 people found this helpful
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Marc Baldwin
4.0 out of 5 stars I like the way Witherington writes - very down to earth ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2015
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I appreciate the fact that the tone of this book is not "This is right and that's wrong." Rather, it's written as a scholarly discussion that brings to light general principles about the Lord's supper as it was celebrated in the early church. In the end, his focus is where it should be - squarely on relationship with Jesus Christ and with other believers.

It gets fairly academic, so be prepared for a "theology class" feeling in much of it. At the same time, I like the way Witherington writes - very down to earth and much like I would expect a friend to try to explain something to me over a grande hot chocolate at Starbucks.

"Someday the currently invisible Host will show up, and we will see him face to face. It is a consummation devoutly to be wished. In the meantime, we must learn to be better dinner guests, waiting on one another, communing together with one eye on heaven and one on each other. We need to relearn how to make a meal of it rather than a mess of it, as we so often do."
One person found this helpful
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Paul Figel
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Resource on the Lord’s Supper
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2023
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Witherington is an excellent scholar with a superb knack for writing in an easily understood way. This book traces through time from the NT text, through early church and medieval church history, to the modern day. His arguments for a continued refining of this sacrament are convincing and prompt the reader to reconsider how this is done in their own church.
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D. Whitmarsh
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2009
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Among Christians, few topics are both as important and as debated as the meaning and practice of the Lord's Supper. And Dr. Witherington has done us all a favor in writing a book in which he attempts to get beyond the rhetoric and debate, taking a fresh look at the biblical texts, the early Christian writings, and the theological developments up to the present age. There is much here that challenges just about every 'tradition,' be it the Roman Catholic sacramental version to the simple ordinance of the Baptists. Dr. Witherington surely brings a weighty discussion, but does so with winsomeness and humility along the way. I especially appreciate the way he drives the discussion right back to its proper place - not so much the meal on the table, but the Lord who invites us there.
11 people found this helpful
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Johann
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2016
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Very readable and helpful
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Budnews
3.0 out of 5 stars better reads out there on the subject
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2014
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So-so...better reads out there on the subject.
One person found this helpful
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JACOB N. VO
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent transaction
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2014
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Even though I chose the 2-4 days of shipping, but I did not expect it come that fast. The book is very new to me. This is a text book on the subject of the Lord's Supper. I am glad to have it.
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Carl D., Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars good book
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2013
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Ben Witherington is a good writer -- and shows, as always, proper study and thought in his writings; resourceful and educational.
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Top reviews from other countries

Jake
4.0 out of 5 stars A great overview
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2015
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I was looking for a book about communion and after a lot of research I went with this one. It is a good read and talks in great detail along with some stories. I was however left with the feeling that although the book had said all the right things and talked about the Lord's Supper in such detail, it had still in some way missed the heart of it. This may be a harsh criticism expecting more heart in a theological book but none the less that is what I felt. It must be said if you want a great overview of breaking bread then this is your book.
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