Author

Hwa Rang Moon, Calvin Theological Seminary

What the Korean Presbyterian Church can learn from contemporary debates about infant communion among Reformed Christians in North America.

Division

Ministry Division

Department

Worship

Supervisor

John Witvliet

Reader 1

Darwin Glassford

Reader 1

Scott Hoezee

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Theology (Th.M)

Keywords

Korean Presbyterian Church, Communion, Infants, North America, Reformed Christians, Children, Infant baptism

Abstract

Can children participate in the Lord’s Supper? This practice was prohibited at the fourth Lateran Council; however, at the end of the 20th century, among Reformed churches in North America and some Europe Churches, debated the validity of infant communion or children’s communion. Is, then, infant communion or children’s communion biblical? What was the practice of the early New Testament church? Can infants or children have faith and enough cognitive ability to discern the body of Christ? Many biblical scholars, systematic theologians, church historians and local church pastors participate in this debate. Both the Christian Reformed Church and Reformed Church in America deal with this theme as their denominational agenda. While studying at Calvin, this theme gave me a great motivation to study worship theology more deeply. I especially came to feel that this study requires interdisciplinary methods, in other words using biblical, systematic, historical, and educational methods. These methods are reflected in each chapter to give a more clear understanding about the essence of the possibility of infant communion. Until now the theme of children’s participation at the Table has been argued, even though the Christian Reformed Church decided that an appropriate age should be considered before participation by children in the sacrament could be observed and based on the church community’s permission. Therefore, my thesis, rather than giving a decisive solution for this problem, will give a good foundation and theological reflection on this issue.

Recommended Citation

Moon, Hwa Rang, "What the Korean Presbyterian Church can learn from contemporary debates about infant communion among Reformed Christians in North America." (2009). CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses. 14.
https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/cts_theses/14