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Jesus making wine from water in The Marriage at Cana, a 14th-century fresco from the Visoki Dečani monastery. Christian views on alcohol are varied. Throughout the first 1,800 years of Church history, Christians generally consumed alcoholic beverages as a common part of everyday life and used "the fruit of the vine" [1] in their central rite—the Eucharist or Lord's Supper.
During Dionysian festivals and rituals, wine was drunk as way to reach ecstatic states along with music and dance. Intoxication from alcohol was seen as a state of possession by spirit of the god of wine Dionysus. Religious drinking festivals called Bacchanalia were popular in Italy and associated with the gods Bacchus and Liber.
Most Christian denominations condone moderate consumption of alcohol and beverages, including the Anglicans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Reformed and the Orthodox. [46] [47] The Adventist, Baptist, Methodist, Mormon, and Pentecostal traditions either encourage abstinence from or prohibit the consumption of alcohol (cf. teetotalism).
Other Christian churches, such as some Methodist Churches, disapprove of the consumption of alcohol, and substitute grape juice for wine (see Christian views on alcohol). [4] In Eastern Christianity, sacramental wine is usually red, to better symbolize its change from wine into the blood of Jesus Christ, as is believed to happen at the Eucharist.
Wine in the ancient world had a maximum possible alcohol content of 11-12 percent before dilution and once diluted, the alcohol content was reduced to 2.75 or 3 percent. [6] Estimates of the wine of regional neighbors like the Greeks have dilution of 1:1 or 2:1 which place the alcohol content between 4-7 percent.
Alcohol was viewed positively while its excessive use was condemned. Increase Mather (d. 1723) expressed the common view in a sermon against drunkenness: "Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan; the wine is from God, but the drunkard is from the Devil."
Americans’ relationship with alcohol and their perception of how healthy it is may be changing — with younger people drinking a lot less, and many people in general reevaluating whether even ...
Many Christians choose to practice teetotalism during Lent, thus giving up alcoholic beverages during the liturgical season. [1] [2]A Lenten sacrifice is a spiritual practice where Christians, particularly Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Moravians and the United Protestants voluntarily renounce a pleasure or luxury during the observance of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday.