Last year, Dr. Natalie A. Lindemann published a scholarly journal article on predictors of Catholics’ belief in the Real Presence. Dr. Lindemann is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. She recently published a follow-up peer-reviewed article that uses a larger sample size and examines additional factors.
The new study is published in Volume 30 of the Catholic Social Science Review.
Once more, Dr. Lindemann’s research found that traditional liturgical experiences predict stronger belief in the Real Presence. Predictors of Real Presence belief include receiving the Eucharist on the tongue, attending a parish that rings consecration bells, and attending a parish that offers the Traditional Latin Mass.
We are grateful for Dr. Lindemann’s work and also that she shared it with us. Below is the abstract of the study. Beneath that is an embedded PDF.
Belief in the Real Presence of Jesus substantially contained in the Eucharist is central to Catholicism (John 6:27–58; CCC, 1374–1375), but Catholics show declining Real Presence beliefs, possibly due to a decrease in Eucharistic-centric liturgical practices. Here, I examine how bodily and related social liturgical practices predict U.S. Catholics’ Eucharistic beliefs. The results show that Catholics who receive, or see others receive, the Eucharist on the tongue and who favor reception on the tongue are more likely to believe in the Real Presence. Further, Real Presence beliefs are stronger for those whose parishes ring consecration bells and offer the Latin Mass. Returning to more Eucharistic-centric liturgical practices may bolster Catholics’ Real Presence beliefs.
