The Christological Ramifications of Theodore of Mopsuestia's Understanding of Baptism and the Eucharist

This paper probes how Theodore of Mopsuestia understood "type," "participation" and "real presence" in his sacramental thought at a time when a linguistic shift was occuring within the church. It first summarizes the main arguments of W. DeVries, I. Oñatibia, and L. Abramowski over the effects Theodore sees present in baptism and the eucharist. It applies Theodore's understanding of the roles of the "image of God" and the "body of Christ" as a way to grasp the real functional relationship Theodore posits between a sacrament and its heavenly fulfillment. To remain bonded to the body of Christ is to be guaranteed immortality.