About this episode

Dr. William Lane Craig explores the Roman Catholic interpretation of the Lord's Supper, focusing on the doctrine of the Eucharist as a sacrifice.

Dr. William Lane Craig continues his examination of the Lord's Supper with a deep dive into the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist as a sacrifice. Beyond transubstantiation, Catholics hold that the Mass is a propitiatory offering to God for the sins of both the living and the dead. Dr. Craig traces this doctrine from Irenaeus's early view of the Eucharist as a thank offering, through its codification at the Council of Trent, to its further development at Vatican II — exploring what it means for Christ to be "re-presented" to God in each celebration of the Mass.

People in this episode

Host: Dr. William Lane Craig

Topics covered

• Lord's Supper
• Eucharist
• Roman Catholic doctrine
• transubstantiation
• Mass
• sacrifice
• Christian theology

Keywords

• Lord's Supper
• Eucharist
• Roman Catholic
• transubstantiation
• Mass
• sacrifice
• Irenaeus
• Council of Trent
• Vatican II

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Roman Catholic Church

Books & works: Council of Trent, Vatican II

More episodes of Defenders Podcast

• Doctrine of the Church (Part 11): Consubstantiation and Other Views · July 15, 2026 · 9 min
• Defenders: Doctrine of the Church (Part 9): Transubstantiation · June 24, 2026 · 14 min
• Defenders: Doctrine of the Church (Part 8): The Lord’s Supper · June 17, 2026 · 18 min

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