Hans Boersma on Sacramental Ontology

If there's a modern theologian/thinker more foundational to the possibility of the Sacramental Ontology Society than Hans Boersma, we can't think of one. Here's part of Dr. Boersma's description of sacramental ontology on his website:

So what is sacramental ontology? I unpack this in detail in my book, Heavenly Participation, and what follows here is mostly taken from that book. Perhaps the easiest way of explaining the notion of ‘sacramental ontology’ is by distinguishing between symbols and sacraments. A road sign with the picture of a deer symbolizes the presence of deer in the area, hopefully causing drivers to slow down. Drivers will not be so foolish as to veer away from the road sign for fear of hitting the deer that is symbolized on the road sign. The reason is obvious: the symbol of the deer and the deer in the forest are two completely separate realities. The former is a sign referring to the latter, but in no way do the two co-inhere. It is not as though the road sign carries a mysterious quality, participating somehow in the stags that roam the forests. The symbol and the reality merely have an external or nominal relationship. The distance between the two makes clear that there is no real connection between them. Things are different with sacraments. Unlike mere symbols, sacraments actually participate in the mysterious reality to which they point. When it comes to sacraments, sign and reality co-inhere; the sacrament participates in the reality to which it points.

If that intrigues you, you can read the rest of the description and check out the truly vast expanse of other resources available on hansboersma.org.