John Duns Scotus on the Lord's Supper
The elements become Christ's body and blood
THE POSITION
Transubstantiation, as defined at the Fourth Lateran Council. He holds it while conceding that the alternative is philosophically available and not excluded by the scriptural words — the Church's definition is what settles it.
WHY THERE IS NO QUOTATIONNo quotations. Scotus died in 1308 and the Latin is public domain, but the usable English translations are modern and in copyright, so these positions are paraphrased from standard scholarly accounts rather than reproduced.
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”
2 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Franciscan, the Subtle Doctor. Argued for the univocity of being and for a will free in its own right rather than moved by the intellect's judgment — the point where the Franciscan schools part from Aquinas.
Cite this page
"John Duns Scotus on the Lord's Supper", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/scotus/lords-supper (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/scotus/lords-supper).