John Duns Scotus
John Duns Scotus
This chapter examines the theologies of the sacraments of John Duns Scotus, one of the most important theologians and philosophers of the High Middle Ages. Scotus viewed sacraments as “signs of God’s salvific activity” in the lives of believers and fascinatingly asserted that “the seven sacraments—baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, confession, unction, marriage, and ordination—correspond supernaturally to the seven requirements of natural life, individual and social: birth, nutrition, physical exercise, healing after illness, preparation for death, procreation, and the creation of spiritual leaders.” Scotus asserted that the grace communicated to believers through the seven sacraments fosters the growth of Christian character in believers, evident in their growth in grace. Regarding the Eucharist, like his contemporary Aquinas, Scotus believed in transubstantiation, although there are complicated nuances with the concept of “real presence.” He also asserted “that Christ somehow offers himself in the Eucharist.”
Keywords: sacrament, Eucharist, baptism, grace, Duns Scotus, real presence, transubstantiation
NYU Press Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.