Term

Transubstantiation

The Roman Catholic doctrine that the substance of bread and wine changes into the body and blood of Christ while their outward appearances remain.

Filed underHistorical TheologyEcclesiology

Definition

A word used in the Roman Catholic eucharistic doctrine to describe the process by which the 'substances' (the deepest reality or subjects of the bread and wine) are changed into those of the body and blood of Christ, while the 'appearances' (properties) of the bread and wine remain intact.

Connections

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Related to: John HusPerson
Contrasted with: LollardyTerm
Narrower than: Six ArticlesTerm
The Fourth Lateran CouncilTerm

Sources

1.Alan Richardson and John Bowden The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983). 579Original citation: Richardson, Alan, and John Bowden. The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983, 579.

Last revised August 14, 2026