Paedocommunion Bibliography

Disclaimer: this bibliography aims at providing a reasonably comprehensive view of arguments on both sides of the paedocommunion question. Inclusion here does not indicate full agreement with every line of argument or all presuppositions of the respective writers on the "pro" side; nor does it imply repudiation of every point made by the "con" side.

In addition to the articles for and against (immediately below), this page also links some related articles dealing with matters which are connected to the paedocommunion issue, but do not necessarily argue for it directly.

Books

Pro

• Brown, Dan. Anti-Paedocommunion: Biblical or Pagan? Dan&Mary Publications, 2022.
• Gallant, Tim. Feed My Lambs: Why the Lord’s Table Should Be Restored to Covenant Children. Grande Prairie, AB: Pactum Reformanda, 2002.
• Leithart, Peter. Daddy, Why Was I Excommunicated? An Examination of Leonard J. Coppes, Daddy, May I Take Communion? Transfiguration Press, 1992.
• Strawbridge, Gregg, ed. The Case for Covenant Communion. Athanasius Press, 2006.

Con

• Bacon, Richard. What Mean Ye By This Service: Paedocommunion in the Light of the Passover. Presbyterian Heritage, 1989.
• Coppes, Leonard J. Daddy, May I Take Communion? Paedocommunion vs. the Bible. Thornton, CO: self-published, 1988.
• Venema, Cornelis. Children at the Lord’s Table? Assessing the Case for Paedocommunion. Reformation Heritage Books, 2021.
• West, Jim. Toddlers at the Table? Protecting Our Children from the Error of Paedocommunion. Independent, 2021.

Other/Moderating Position

• Kayser, Phillip. Children and Communion: A Presuppositional Analysis of 14 Views. Independent, 2021.

Articles Pro & Con

The "Yes" Vote

• Brouwer, Kamp, Lunshof, Polman: Committee to Study Clarification of Public Profession of Faith for Covenant Children, "Report B" to Synod 1995 (CRC) (Note: This report is not by itself; it is to be found approximately halfway down this long web page.)
• Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: Children at the Lord's Supper (theme issue).
• Rev Fr Patrick S. Fodor, "Should Baptized Infants Be Communed?"
• James A Frey, "Infant Communion: A Look at Lutheran Liturgical Practice"
• Richard Futrell, "Does Our Lord Invite Baptized Infants to His Supper?" (Word document)
• Tim Gallant, "Brief Theses on Communion and Covenant Children"
• Tim Gallant, "Covenant Communion" (MP3 format download)
• Tim Gallant, "Discerning the Body: 1 Corinthians 11:29 & Paedocommunion"
• Tim Gallant, "Examination and Remembrance"
• Tim Gallant, "Paedocommunion & the Church Fathers: A Catena of Quotations"
• Tim Gallant, Paedocommunion Debate (Vs Steve Schlissel)
• Rev Gary V. Gehlbach, "The Discontinuance of the Practice of Communing Infants in the Western Church"
• Syd Hielema, "A Precious Feast, A Tangled Web: A Case for Welcoming Children at the Table"
• Mark Horne, "A Brief Response to Rev. Richard Bacon's Opposition to Paedocommunion"
• Mark Horne, "John Calvin and Paedocommunion"
• Mark Horne, "A Response to Rev. Bacon's Argument that Manna was not a Sacrament"
• Mark Horne, "You and Your Son and Daughter: Christ's Communion with Young Children"
• Tommy Lee, "Appendix:  The Theology of Paedocommunion"
• Tommy Lee, "The History of Paedocommunion:  From the Early Church Until 1500"
• Peter J. Leithart, "Daddy, Why Was I Excommunicated?"
• Peter J. Leithart, "Paedocommunion, the Gospel, and the Church, I"
• Rich Lusk, "For the Children's Sake"
• Jeffrey Meyers, "Presbyterian, Examine Thyself"
• Robert Rayburn, "Our Historic Practice is Invisible in the Bible"
• Robert Rayburn, "PCA Minority Report on Paedocommunion" (This document contains both Majority and Minority Reports; Rayburn’s report begins on p. 503/p. 6 of the PDF.)
• Robert Rayburn, "Studies in Exodus (No. 13): Exodus 12:1–49"
• Sinia, Peter G. From the Least to the Greatest: Children at the Lord’s Supper — Paedocommunion in the Dutch Reformed Tradition.
• Gregg Strawbridge, "Eucharist Participants in the Early Centuries: Biblical and Historical Evidence for Paedocommunion"
• G. I. Williamson et al, "OPC Majority Report"
• Bryan Wandel, "Children and Communion: Why the Eucharist Should Be Given to the Smallest Christians"
• Douglas Wilson, Peter Leithart, et al, That Wonderful Cup (Credenda Agenda 18-1)

The "No" Vote"

• Richard Bacon, "What Mean Ye?"
• Leonard Coppes, "OPC Minority Report (#1)"
• Dr. K. Deddens, "May Children Partake of the Lord's Supper?"
• T. David Gordon, "Paedocommunion" (Word document)
• Gregory Johnson, "Why Paedocommunion is a Bad Idea:  Expanding a Blessing or Bringing Down a Curse?"
• Francis Nigel Lee, "Paedocommunionism Versus Protestantism: How Trendy Theologizers Have Retreated from the Reformation (A Short History of the Modern Quasi-Protestant Paedocommunion Novelty)"
• Francis Nigel Lee, "Summary Against Paidocommunion"
• Dr Peter A Lillback, "OPC Minority Report (#2)"
• PCA Ad-Interim Committee, "Report of the Ad-Interim Committee to Study the Question of Paedocommunion" (This document contains both Majority and Minority Reports; The Majority report runs from pp. 498–503/pp. 1–6 of the PDF.)
• Joey Pipa, "Paedocommunion: A Wrong View of Membership and Sacrament"
• Reformed Church of the United States, Committee to Investigate the Situation at Westminster Seminary in Regard to Infant Communion
• Rev. Brian M. Schwertley, Paedocommunion: A Biblical Examination

Related Articles

• Tim Gallant, "Paedocommunion & the Three Forms of Unity"
  

Other Resources

• "Children At the Table: Toward a Guiding Principle for Biblically Faithful Celebrations of the Lord's Supper" (PDF; a report by the Faith Formation Committee of the Christian Reformed Church.)