The Contemplative Influence of Cognition and Recognition on Participation and Celebration of Holy Communion

Abstract

This article focuses on the importance, and also on the possible value of the concepts of cognition and recognition for reflection on what should actually happen during celebration of Holy Communion. The vantage-point in this approach is that celebration has in its essence that it should be a meaningful experience. The meaningfulness consists of the intriguing fact that participants are participating in Christ’s body and in his blood while celebrating Holy Communion. In celebrating Holy Communion, people are engaging in a ritual that involves interaction with a variety of symbols. The methodological insights of Browning (1996) that described the lapse of a research activity ranging from description, to systemizing (exploring practical wisdom and understanding), to strategizing (practicing strategic practical theology) will be adhered to. The research problem for this research could be formulated in the following manner, namely: “Could the cognizance of the lenses of cognition and recognition of the deeper message of Holy Communion enrich the conscious appropriation of salvation while celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion?” The research problem is addressed from the vantage-point of understanding sacraments from a Reformed paradigm. The concepts of cognition and recognition are highlighted from a brief historical description of what is a sacrament and also taking into account the insights from social psychology regarding the essence of the concepts of cognition and recognition. The article further elaborates on the functioning of the concepts of cognition (phronesis) and recognition (anamnesis). In the last section, the article utilizes a hermeneutical interaction between descriptive and systemizing perspectives in order to formulate strategizing perspectives on how a problematic praxis could possibly be addressed regarding people’s experiences on participation in Holy Communion through the meaningful lenses of cognition and recognition.