What has grape juice to do with common sense? -- Alcohol and science -- Alcohol and the overthrow of reason -- Alcohol, the ideal worker, and the poisoned chalice -- Alcohol and the truth of the Gospel -- Common sense and the common cup -- Juice and cups or wine and chalice? : concluding thoughts on symbolism and minor vices
Summary
This work examines the introduction of grape juice into the celebration of Holy Communion in the late 19th century Methodist Episcopal Church and reveals how a 1,800-year-old practice of using fermented communion wine became theologically incomprehensible in a mere forty years. Through study of denominational publications, influential exegetical works, popular fiction and songs, and didactic moral literature, Jennifer Woodruff Tait charts the development of opposing symbolic associations for wine and grape juice. She argues that 19th century Methodists, steeped in Baconian models of science a
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes
Based on the author's Ph. D. thesis (Duke University, 2005)