History glossary
communion
receiving the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist.
- Category
- Sacrament
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- Varies
What it means
Communion is the act of receiving the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist. The Fourth Lateran Council required Christians to receive communion at least once a year at Easter.
Stories using this term
The Byzantine Empire
From Constantine's new capital to the fall of Constantinople, Byzantium preserved Roman law, Orthodox Christianity, imperial government and classical learning through more than a thousand years of adaptation.
The Elizabethan Age
Elizabeth I’s reign brought stability, cultural flourishing, exploration, and victory over the Spanish Armada.
The Tudor Dynasty
The Tudors strengthened royal power, drove religious change, and shaped early modern England.
The Rise of the Medieval Church
From the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Avignon papacy, this story traces how the Christian Church built its authority through bishops, monasteries, missions, reform, and direct confrontation with Europe's rulers.
The Holy Roman Empire
From Otto I’s coronation to Napoleon’s upheaval, emperors, princes, bishops and cities built a political order sustained by contested and shared authority.
