Memorialism is the view that the Lord’s Supper (also called Communion or the Eucharist) is essentially a memorial commemoration of Christ’s death. This view sees the bread and wine as symbolic reminders of Christ’s body and blood sacrificed on the cross, but does not believe they become the actual body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation) or that Christ is uniquely spiritually present in them (consubstantiation).
According to memorialism, when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper at the Last Supper, he intended it to be commemorative in nature, bringing to remembrance his sacrificial death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus had said regarding the bread, “This is my body, which is given for you” (Luke 22:19) and the cup, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). Memorialists believe Jesus was speaking figuratively, not literally. The elements remain bread and wine, but vividly represent his body and blood.
This view has appeal to many Christians for several reasons:
1. It takes Jesus’ words in a figurative sense, avoiding the philosophical complexities of transubstantiation and consubstantiation which claim the bread and wine become or contain Jesus’ actual body and blood.
2. It fits with Jesus’ common use of metaphors in his teachings like “I am the door” (John 10:7) and “I am the vine” (John 15:5). The disciples would have understood the symbolism of his words at the Last Supper without taking them in a strictly literal sense.
3. It aligns with Jesus’ words “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25), supporting the memorial intention of the Supper.
4. It requires no priestly powers for the conversion of the elements, allowing for greater accessibility for believers to partake on their own or in community.
Memorialism emerged as a major view during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Reformers like Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, and others reacted against the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation and proposed a more symbolic understanding of the Lord’s Supper instead. They argued that Christians partake of the bread and wine in remembrance of Christ’s death, renewing their faith and devotion because of God’s grace earned through Christ’s sacrifice. The elements do not change into Christ’s actual body and blood.
Zwingli in particular emphasized the memorial aspect of the sacrament, saying “The Lord’s Supper is nothing else than the commemoration of the fact that Christ died for us.” Calvin also saw it as a memorial, but placed more emphasis on Christ being spiritually present and received by faith when Christians partake. But Calvin denied the physical presence of Jesus in the elements.
The memorial view of the Lord’s Supper is held today by many Protestant churches and denominations that trace their roots back to the Reformation or hold broadly Reformed theology. These include Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Assemblies of God, and non-denominational evangelical churches among others. It is a unifying perspective for Protestants on this sacrament that Jesus intended as a meaningful reminder for believers of what he accomplished for them in his atoning death.
When Christians partake of the bread and cup with a memorial mindset, they soberly remember Christ’s suffering and death on their behalf. They are pointed back to grace and filled with gratitude. The sign and symbols of bread and wine uniquely represent the body and blood of Jesus, nourishing faith and devotion. Coming to the Lord’s table should never be a thoughtless habit, but an act of worship renewing one’s appreciation for the gospel.
Memorialism also avoids the extremes of completely spiritualizing away the meaning of the sacrament or making participation in it an automatic means of grace. The benefits of the Lord’s Supper do not come through the physical elements themselves. Rather, Christians receive spiritual nourishment and a strengthening of faith as they partake with appreciative hearts and minds centered on the death of Christ. The focus is lifted to the One remembered, not the bread and cup themselves.
A high view of Scripture confirms that Jesus was speaking symbolically and metaphorically when he identified the bread and cup with his body and blood at the Last Supper. He did not expect the disciples to take his words in a literal, mechanistic sense as if the bread itself would become his physical body. His words and the Passover context point to commemoration using representative symbols, not a change in substance.
Paul’s teachings on the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 10-11 assume a symbolic understanding, speaking of “participation” and “proclamation” of Christ’s death, not a recrucifixion or re-sacrifice of Jesus each time it is observed. The church at Corinth was corrected for making the meal into a selfish, prideful affair that did not reflect the purpose of solemnly proclaiming the Lord’s death “until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Their actions showed they had lost sight of the commemorative meaning intended.
Biblically, the sacraments (or ordinances) serve as special visible signs and seals that God graciously provides to strengthen and nourish the faith of believers. They do not operate in semi-magical ways independent of faith and repentance. The Lord’s Supper is an instrument for spiritually feeding on Christ, not to be distorted into a work earning merit or favor with God. Memorialism keeps the focus on faith in Christ’s finished work, not the elements themselves.
Some churches that hold a memorial view celebrate the Lord’s Supper weekly, while others observe it less frequently. But all agree that right administration and receiving require alert self-examination, sensitive pastoral guidance, and avoiding potential abuses that obscure the purpose of magnifying Christ and the gospel. Meaningless habit without a memorial mindset distorts the sacrament into empty ritual.
When believers take time to remember what Christ suffered on the cross to make them clean before God, providing eternal life by grace alone through faith alone, it humbles pride and stirs up love for the Savior. That is the essence of the memorial view – calling believers afresh to marvel at the miracle of the cross that saves those who could never save themselves.
Memorialism is Christ-focused, not man-centered. It directs faith to the redemption accomplished by Christ’s substitutionary atonement, not dependence on human actions or church sacraments functioning ex opere operato as if imparting grace automatically. Partaking is an act of believing response, not the source of grace itself. The bread and cup vividly represent the body and blood of Jesus and bring to mind his perfect sacrifice, nourishing souls in the gospel by the Spirit, who alone makes spiritual life possible by uniting sinners to Christ.
This view has been influential throughout church history, finding continuity from early church fathers like Augustine up through the Reformation and down to the present day. While differences remain between Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox communions on exactly how Christ is present and received in the Eucharist, memorialism serves as a vital common ground for proclaiming the death of the Lord and cherishing the indescribable gift of what it accomplished once for all for those who believe.
On that dark night in the upper room, as Jesus broke the bread and took the cup, instituting this memorial meal, he was on the brink of the cross. And in that place, the Scriptures teach he was looking ahead with joy to the glory set before him of accomplishing the salvation of his people, those predestined to be conformed to his image (Hebrews 12:2; Romans 8:29). At the Last Supper, the cross cast its shadow ahead. And that shadow touches each memorial meal where believers look back in amazement, remembering the body broken and blood poured out to redeem them. The humble elements proclaim the humility that brought eternal life.
Until Christ returns, Christians will continue gathering to remember and show his death by taking bread and cup together with thankful hearts filled with awe. And memorialism will perpetually direct souls to behold the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world, finding our life in his death. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial feast, the gospel made visible for hungry souls to feed on Christ by faith.