Memorialism

Memorialism is the belief held by some Christian denominations that the elements of bread and wine (or grape juice) in the Eucharist (more often referred to as "the Lord's Supper" by memorialists) are purely symbolic representations of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the feast being established only or primarily as a commemorative ceremony.

The term comes from the Gospel of Luke 22:19: "Do this in remembrance of me", and the attendant interpretation that the Lord's Supper's chief purpose is to help the participant prayerfully remember Jesus and his sacrifice on the Cross, and symbolically renew commitment.

This viewpoint is commonly held by General Baptists,[1][2] Anabaptists,[3] the Plymouth Brethren,[3] many Restorationist[3] denominations (such as Jehovah's Witnesses),[4][5][6] and some Non-denominational Churches,[7] as well as those identifying with liberal Christianity.

[23]: 56  Zwingli, who was a former Roman Catholic priest, affirmed that Christ is truly (though not naturally) present to the believer in the sacrament or amid a Christian congregation that remembers with strong intensity the events of the Last Supper through the power of God.

[25] In addition, unlike Lutheran theology that upholds a sacramental union, Zwingli maintained that the Scripture and the creeds support the idea that Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.