Abstract

In Symbol and Sacrament, Louis-Marie Chauvet explores the question of 'overcoming' onto-theology in the context of sacramental theology. His turn to a symbolic logic as an alternative to an onto-theo-logic combines the linguistic turn with a turn to the body. This enables him to emphasize the multidimensionality of human existence, the necessity of mediation, and the ambiguity of the sacramental event. Ultimately, Chauvet's work demonstrates that the sacramentality of the Christian faith has a rich potential for correcting some of the problems associated with not only onto-theology, but also postmodernity. ;This dissertation examines the narrative program of the eucharistic prayer for the purposes of investigating its potential for counteracting an onto-theo-logic. The conclusion reached is twofold. First, the potential for eucharist to be a means for 'overcoming' onto-theology is affirmed insofar as: one, the remembrance of Christ crucified can deconstruct a self-serving "simple notion of God"; two, the anti-sacrifice nature of the eucharistic ritual is critical of a "sacrificial mentality"; and three, the "liturgy of the neighbor" is acknowledged to be the extension and verification of the eucharistic liturgy. Second, although the eucharistic prayer can be interpreted in a manner that verifies the sensibilities and themes of Chauvet's theology, in actual practice there is some evidence that the eucharistic prayer has become less meaningful in many North American church communities. If the pedagogical potentiality of the eucharistic prayer recognized by Chauvet and defended in this dissertation is to be realized, then much work needs to be done in the area of enriching the community's understanding of the eucharistic prayer as well as composing and refining prayers that better facilitate the 'overcoming' of onto-theology