When 21^st-century Christians think about the Reformation, we are often drawn to the theological changes that Martin Luther inspired along with the break from the Catholic church. These were indeed fundamental changes, but the Reformation was something much greater. As Carlos Eire puts it, “to redefine religion was to redefine the world.”[i] In a similar view, the Reformation was not an isolated event in the 1520s but rather part of a long, “large-scale” trend in Europe that brought about the “emergence of centralized states,” a “renewed interest in classical culture” (the Renaissance), the growth of Western capitalism, and rising literacy rates with the invention of the printing press in 1455.[ii] The famous Swiss Reformer, Ulrich Zwingli, embodies well this complexity. In some sense he was the product of a society that was rapidly changing, as Renaissance humanism and the printing revolution were crucial to his life and ministry. On the other hand, he formed a unique theology and church practice that radically departed from Catholic tradition and authority. In his 1523 treatise Of the Education of Youth, we get a glimpse into this reality, as Zwingli’s strong Reformed theology and humanistic tendencies both stand out in the text.

Zwingli dedicates the first part of his essay to instructing the “tender mind of youth” in the “things of God.”[iii] God’s sovereignty and lordship formed the lynchpin of Zwingli’s theology and church practice. Thus an important element of Zwingli’s ideal education is teaching that “all things are ordained by the providence of God.” This inspires the young learner to trust in God. The providence of God propels the young person to “ask all things from God,” whether that be for wisdom, learning, bodily health, or safety from enemies. For Zwingli, God’s sovereignty is the central pillar for a good education. This emphasis was uniquely essential to the Reformed theology that Zwingli and others developed in the 1520s and on.

Zwingli also thought that understanding the mystery of the Gospel was crucial for every committed student. Zwingli stresses the importance for the young learner to acknowledge the original, corrupt state of man and “how he transgressed the commandment of God and became a prey to death.” Acknowledging their deadly sickness, humans have “no choice but to abandon ourselves entirely to his grace.” Then breaks forth the light of the Gospel—that Christ saved us from sin’s guilt and power. Christ’s divine righteousness is imputed to us so that we are “free from all corrupt affections.” Thus, students who understand this Gospel “will exert themselves to live rightly,” that is, to be “as nearly like God as possible,” who does “good to all and is profitable to all.” Concerning education, then, understanding this correct Gospel is key because it allows the student to be saved from their corrupt nature which gives spiritual credibility to their academic endeavors.

In the second part of his educational treatise, we see that Ulrich Zwingli was in some ways a product of the Renaissance humanism. Some biographical history will do good. When Zwingli was ten, he learned Latin in Basel, Switzerland. In 1498, at age fourteen, he began study at the University of Vienna where he was introduced to Renaissance humanism by the “greatest” of German humanists, Conrad Celtis. Then at age eighteen Zwingli returned to Basel, studying at the University of Basel under Thomas Wyttenbach. Wyttenbach, who embodied the ad fontes ideal, encouraged Zwingli to study the New Testament in the original Greek text. Later, in 1506, Zwingli became a pastor in Glarus, and there continued his humanistic interests, learning Greek and Hebrew, and “immersing himself in the classics” and the early church fathers.[iv]

So, in 1523, when Zwingli was reforming Zurich, Switzerland—and writing Of the Education of Youth—these humanistic emphases became important. Presaging the Prophezei educational program he established in 1525, in this treatise Zwingli straightforwardly stated that the young student should ideally be “well versed in…Hebrew and Greek.” These will give the basis to a right understanding of the Old and New Testaments. Latin should also be learned. For Zwingli, learning these languages should not be for “profit or pleasure” but with an eye towards right conduct, finding Christ himself as the “exemplar of all virtues.”

As mentioned, Zwingli would go on to reform education in Zurich, establishing the Prophezei institution. This educational program brought in ministers and students five times a week to read and discuss biblical texts in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, as well listen to lectures on Scripture. These gatherings were open to the general laity. Some prayers would be done in the vernacular German so the audience could understand. The laity could then ask questions about the original Greek or Hebrew texts or about Scriptural interpretation. In a way, Zwingli brought Renaissance humanism to the people. Important to remember, though, is that fact that Zwingli was very much a product of Renaissance humanism (humanist professors) and the printing press revolution (the classical sources and languages that he loved and learned were only becoming more accessible when he went to university). With this lens, Zwingli’s ideal of students learning the classical languages can be tied to the broader changes occurring in Europe at the turn of the 16^th century.[v]

Zwingli’s Of the Education of Youth thus contains distinctive hallmarks of the emerging 16^th-century Reformed theology while also reflecting the broader humanistic developments sweeping Europe at the time. Observing the ways in which Zwingli’s personal education influenced his writing really brings his essay to life. Zwingli’s educational treatise is just a sneak-peak into the reality that Reformers were just as much products of their time as they were world-changers of church history.

[i] Carlos Eire, Reformations (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2016), viii.

[ii] Ibid., xiii.

[iii] Ulrich Zwingli, Of the Education of Youth. Note: Used throughout the rest of reflection.

[iv] Ibid., 223.

[v] Ibid., 10, 246.