| Summary: | Lord’s Supper in Iceland 1570-1720. Procedure and Impact The Lord’s Supper in Iceland in the period from 1570 to 1720 is the core focus of this thesis. Limited research has been undertaken on this topic, despite its significance for a greater understanding of early modern Icelandic culture and the development of ecclesiastical authority and the lay community. It is therefore important to analyze the structure of this religious practice within the Icelandic church during this period. The theme comprises two parts. One part is devoted to explaining the ritual of the Eucharist in detail, providing a thorough discussion on the practice. The other explores the influence of the Eucharist on Church bureaucracy and public culture. This dissertation is based on the Eucharist’s threefold purpose in the period from 1570 to 1720. Firstly as a religious practice, then its role concerning church discipline and finally it was a means of social control. The paper comprises five chapters. The first chapter provides an overview of available research and argues why this particular timeframe was chosen. These 150 years were relatively stable compared to the reformation era where the new theology was introduced and implemented. From the middle of the 18th century, new ideologies were introduced. Pietism and later the enlightenment had different views on the Church’s role which affected the way the Eucharist was interpreted and practiced. This development along with difficult economic situation led to a turning point where the dioceses in Hólar and Skálholt were abolished and one national bishop’s office was placed in Reykjavík. By concentrating on the previously mentioned period the practice and influence of the Altar Sacrament can be revealed during a time when the power of the church was at its peak. The second chapter discusses the historical and theological prepositions of the use of the Altar sacrament in the period. The Eucharist’s threefold role is revealed in the way in which the Church practiced the Eucharist through the ...
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