Ulrich Zwingli
1484 - 1531
1484 - 1531
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Ulrich Zwingli was a Swiss priest and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was born on January 1, 1484, in Wildhaus, Switzerland, to an affluent farmer and magistrate, Ulrich, and Margaret Meili. Zwingli's primary schooling was provided by his uncle, Bartholomew, a cleric in Weesen, where he probably met Katharina von Zimmern. He attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, where he received a fine humanist education. In 1506, he graduated from the University of Basel with a Master of Arts degree.
Zwingli's earliest work, a patriotic poem, attacked mercenary military service. Experience of war as a chaplain in 1513 and 1515 intensified his attacks and provoked opposition in Glarus, where he had been a priest since 1506. The books he bought and read there show his love of Greek and Roman antiquity. In 1515 or 1516, he met Erasmus, who pointed him to Christian antiquity—Scripture and the church fathers—in a new way. Zwingli bought editions of works by the fathers and learned the Greek New Testament by heart. He moved to Einsiedeln, a center of pilgrimage, in 1516 and became the pastor of the local church.
In 1519, Zwingli was appointed to the main church in Zurich, Switzerland. He began preaching by reading the Bible directly to the congregation starting with the Gospel of Matthew. Zwingli believed the Bible should be applied to every area of life, and that the gospel is about more than individual salvation. He thought the state governed with divine sanction and that both the church and the state are placed under the sovereign rule of God. Zwinglianism is the Reformed confession based on the Second Helvetic Confession promulgated by Zwingli's successor Heinrich Bullinger in the 1560s.
In 1521, Zwingli became a canon (magistrate) of Zurich and a citizen. In 1522, he defended eating meat during Lent and attacked the Church's position on fasting. In 1523, the First and Second Disputations were held in which Zwingli defended his vision and presented his Sixty-Seven Articles of faith. In 1524, Zwingli married the widow Anna Reinhart and argued against clerical celibacy as hypocritical. He also took yet another step in the Reformation by ruling that all religious images were to be removed from churches.
In 1529, Zwingli disagreed with Martin Luther at the Marburg Colloquy on the Eucharist, and Protestants divided further. Zwingli hoped first to establish a church in the Canton of Zurich, which would serve as the model for a Swiss National Protestant Church. The European-wide reformed catholic church, which Zwingli envisaged, was never founded. Zwingli did succeed, however, in introducing his conception of the proper reformation of the church into the major Urban Cantons, the Cantons dominated by cities of German Switzerland. At Berne, Basel, Shafthausen, and Zurich, Zwingli’s conception of how the church should be reformed was followed.
Zwingli died in combat in the second of the Kappel Wars in 1531, a conflict between Catholic and Protestant forces. Afterwards, two accounts of his death emerged – one Catholic and one Protestant – differing in detail and notable as examples of the schism between the two groups caused by Zwingli's reformation. On the battlefield, not far from the line of attack, Zwingli lay under the dead and wounded. While men were looting, he was still alive, lying on his back, with his hands together as if he was praying, and his eyes looking upwards to heaven. So, some approached who did not know him and asked him, since he was so weak and close to death (for he had fallen in combat and was stricken with a mortal wound), whether a priest should be fetched to hear his confession.
In conclusion, Ulrich Zwingli was a significant figure in the Protestant Reformation, and his ideas and teachings played a crucial role in the development of the Reformed Church. His emphasis on the authority of the Bible and his belief in the sovereignty of God over both the church and the state continue to influence Christian theology today.
Citations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Huldrych_Zwingli
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huldrych_Zwingli
[3] https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1928/two-accounts-of-zwinglis-death/
[5] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-4/spread-of-zwingli-reformation.html
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology_of_Huldrych_Zwingli
[7] https://www.worldhistory.org/Huldrych_Zwingli/
[8] https://www.worldhistory.org/timeline/Huldrych_Zwingli/
[9] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Huldrych-Zwingli
[10] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/zwinglis-death-on-battlefield
[11] https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/zurich-revolutionary-ulrich-zwingli
[12] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-know-ulrich-zwingli/
[13] http://www.prca.org/resources/publications/articles/item/5985-ulrich-zwingli-his-life-and-work
[14] https://reformationstewards.com/timelines/zwingli.shtml
[15] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/moversandshakers/ulrich-zwingli.html
[17] https://historylearning.com/german-reformation/beliefs-zwingli/
[18] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/zwingli-timeline
[19] https://museeprotestant.org/en/notice/ulrich-zwingli-1484-1531/
[20] https://www.ligonier.org/posts/death-ulrich-zwingli
[21] https://study.com/learn/lesson/ulrich-zwingli-john-calvin-history-significance-impact.html
[22] https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/history/european-history/ulrich-zwingli/
[23] https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/the-reformation/ulrich-zwingli/
[25] https://workoutyourfaith.org/timeline/zwingli
[26] https://www.crossway.org/articles/a-brief-introduction-to-the-life-and-ministry-of-ulrich-zwingli/
[27] https://discerninghistory.com/2015/08/ulrich-zwinglis-death-at-kappel/
[28] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-swiss-giant
[29] https://www.learnreligions.com/ulrich-zwingli-biography-699999
[30] https://www.thechristianexplorer.org/post/2019/05/24/ulrich-zwingli
Ulrich Zwingli, the Swiss priest and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation, was shaped by several major events and experiences in his life. Here are some of them:
- Education: Zwingli received a fine humanist education at the University of Basel, where he studied the classics and developed a love of music. He also learned Greek and Roman antiquity, which influenced his later work as a reformer[1][9].
- Experience of war: Zwingli served as a chaplain for Swiss mercenaries in 1513 and 1515, which intensified his attacks on mercenary military service. This experience also influenced his views on the role of the state and the church in society[1][9].
- Encounter with Erasmus: Zwingli met Dutch humanist Erasmus in 1515 or 1516, who pointed him to Christian antiquity—Scripture and the church fathers—in a new way. Zwingli bought editions of works by the fathers and learned the Greek New Testament by heart. This encounter influenced Zwingli's later emphasis on the authority of Scripture in his theology[1][2][6].
- Appointment to Zurich: In 1519, Zwingli was appointed to the main church in Zurich, Switzerland. He began preaching by reading the Bible directly to the congregation starting with the Gospel of Matthew. Zwingli believed the Bible should be applied to every area of life, and that the gospel is about more than individual salvation. He thought the state governed with divine sanction and that both the church and the state are placed under the sovereign rule of God. These beliefs would shape his later reforms[1][2].
- Disputations: In 1523, Zwingli participated in the First and Second Disputations, in which he defended his vision and presented his Sixty-Seven Articles of faith. These articles outlined his beliefs on the authority of Scripture, the nature of God, and the role of the church in society. They also challenged the traditional practices of the Catholic Church, such as the veneration of saints and the use of images in worship[1][13].
- Marriage: Zwingli married Anna Reinhart in 1524, which challenged the traditional practice of clerical celibacy. He argued that clerical celibacy was hypocritical and that marriage was a legitimate way of life for priests. This belief would later influence his reforms in Zurich[1][13].
- Marburg Colloquy: In 1529, Zwingli met Martin Luther at the Marburg Colloquy to discuss their differences on the Eucharist. They were unable to reach an agreement, and their disagreement led to further division among Protestants. This event would shape Zwingli's later reforms and his relationship with Luther[1][4].
- Death: Zwingli died in the First War of Kappel in 1531, defending Zurich against Catholic forces. His death marked the end of his reforms in Switzerland, but his ideas continued to influence the development of the Reformed Church[1][13].
In conclusion, Ulrich Zwingli's beliefs and teachings were shaped by several major events and experiences in his life, including his education, experience of war, encounter with Erasmus, appointment to Zurich, disputations, marriage, Marburg Colloquy, and death. These events influenced his emphasis on the authority of Scripture, his views on the role of the state and the church in society, and his challenges to traditional practices of the Catholic Church.
Citations:
[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Huldrych-Zwingli
[2] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-know-ulrich-zwingli/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology_of_Huldrych_Zwingli
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Huldrych_Zwingli
[5] https://study.com/learn/lesson/ulrich-zwingli-john-calvin-history-significance-impact.html
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huldrych_Zwingli
[7] https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/history/european-history/ulrich-zwingli/
[8] https://www.thegoodshepherd.org.au/how-zwinglis-radicalism-shaped-evangelical-worship
[9] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/urban-reformation-the-life-and-thought-of-zwingli
[10] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/moversandshakers/ulrich-zwingli.html
[11] https://historylearning.com/german-reformation/beliefs-zwingli/
[12] https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/may-web-only/zwingli-gods-armed-prophet-swiss-reformation-bruce-gordon.html
[13] https://www.worldhistory.org/timeline/Huldrych_Zwingli/
[14] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-4/spread-of-zwingli-reformation.html
[15] https://www.worldhistory.org/Huldrych_Zwingli/
[16] http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S0259-94222019000400062&script=sci_arttext
[17] https://reformationstewards.com/timelines/zwingli.shtml
[18] https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ulrich_Zwingli
[19] https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/the-reformation/ulrich-zwingli/
Ulrich Zwingli, the Swiss priest and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation, had several key people in his life. Here are some of them:
Anna Reinhart: Zwingli's wife. They married secretly in 1522, and not until April 5, 1524, did they make their arrangement public. She brought three children to the marriage, and had four others by Ulrich[1][7].
Regula Gwalther: Zwingli's oldest child. She was born on July 31, 1524, and was described as the image of her mother, Anna. After her father's death, Regula was brought up with the children of Bullinger. She married Rudolf Gwalther in 1541 and soon was installed at St. Peter’s in Zurich as the[1].
Erasmus: A Dutch humanist who pointed Zwingli to Christian antiquity—Scripture and the church fathers—in a new way. Zwingli bought editions of works by the fathers and learned the Greek New Testament by heart. They had much in common, but the friendship ended in 1523 when Zwingli treated Ulrich von Hutten, a man Erasmus hated[2][4].
Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz: Early comrades of Zwingli. Grebel was a layman, from a leading Zurich family, and educated at the universities in Vienna and Paris. Manz was a Hebrew scholar and illegitimate son of a canon of the Grossmünster Church in Zurich. By 1523 these and other radical reformers came to believe that Zwingli was too conservative and that the[7].
Martin Luther: Zwingli disagreed with Martin Luther at the Marburg Colloquy on the Eucharist, and Protestants divided further. Though they opposed one another, Luther and Zwingli had a number of traits in common. They were both born of peasant stock but of relatively well-to-do parents. Luther’s father was a prosperous miner in Saxony and Zwingli’s was a successful farmer and first citizen of his village of Wildhaus in the Toggenburg Valley of the eastern lower Alps. They both became accomplished scholars and developed extraordinary musical talents[9][10].
Thomas Wyttenbach: A teacher and reformer who influenced Zwingli's early education. Supported by teaching, Zwingli read theology and was deeply influenced by the lectures of Wyttenbach[27].
In conclusion, Zwingli's key people in his life were his wife Anna Reinhart, his daughter Regula Gwalther, Erasmus, Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, and Martin Luther.
Citations:
[1] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/zwingli-gallery-of-family-friends-foes-and-followers
[2] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Huldrych-Zwingli
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marburg_Colloquy
[4] https://zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/zwingli-and-erasmus-the-ending-of-their-friendship/
[5] https://www.geni.com/people/Huldrych-Ulrich-Zwingli/6000000007396512431
[6] https://www.gotquestions.org/Ulrich-Zwingli.html
[7] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-4/zwingli--father-of-swiss-reformation-gallery-of-family.html
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huldrych_Zwingli
[9] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-4/zwingli-and-luther-giant-vs-hercules.html
[10] https://lutheranreformation.org/history/luther-and-zwingli/
[11] https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/huldrych-zwingli-35749.php
[12] https://www.glarusfamilytree.com/kopie-von-ulrich-zwingli-1
[13] https://www.learnreligions.com/ulrich-zwingli-biography-699999
[14] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/moversandshakers/ulrich-zwingli.html
[15] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/zwingli-and-luther
[16] https://lionandphoenix.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/protestant-profiles-2-ulrich-zwingli/
[17] https://www.glarusfamilytree.com/ulrich-zwingli
[18] https://study.com/academy/lesson/ulrich-zwingli-and-john-calvinl-history-and-philosophy.html
[19] https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/history/european-history/ulrich-zwingli/
[20] https://evangelicalfocus.com/fresh-breeze/4647/10-differences-between-luther-and-zwingli
[21] https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ulrich_Zwingli
[22] https://museeprotestant.org/en/notice/ulrich-zwingli-1484-1531/
[23] http://protestantism.co.uk/reformers
[24] https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/zurich-revolutionary-ulrich-zwingli
[25] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-know-ulrich-zwingli/
[26] https://www.worldhistory.org/Huldrych_Zwingli/
[27] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Huldrych-Zwingli
Ulrich Zwingli was a Swiss priest and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He founded the Swiss Reformed Church and was an important figure in the broader Reformed tradition. Like Martin Luther, he accepted the supreme authority of the Scriptures, but he applied it more rigorously and comprehensively to all doctrines and practices. Zwingli's influence and legacy can be seen in several areas:
Reformation in Switzerland: Zwingli's preaching and reforms in Zurich led to the establishment of the Swiss Reformed Church, which became a model for other Reformed churches in Europe. He challenged the traditional practices of the Catholic Church, such as the veneration of saints and the use of images in worship. He emphasized the authority of Scripture and the importance of preaching from the Bible rather than a lectionary. Zwingli's reforms also challenged the role of the state and the church in society, advocating for a separation of powers and the need for civil authority to be subject to God's sovereign rule.
Theology: Zwingli's theology emphasized God's sovereignty and providence, and he drew sharp distinctions between creator and created, Christ's divinity and humanity, and signs and things signified. He contrasted faith in the creator with faith in created things, including works and sacraments. Zwingli's views on the Lord's Supper differed from Luther's, and he believed that the elements of bread and wine were symbols of Christ's body and blood rather than being literally transformed into them.
Influence on other reformers: Zwingli's ideas and teachings influenced other reformers, including John Calvin, who built on Zwingli's emphasis on the authority of Scripture and the importance of preaching. Zwingli's reforms also influenced the development of the Reformed Church in Scotland, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe.
Legacy in Switzerland: Zwingli's legacy can still be seen in Switzerland today, where the Swiss Reformed Church remains a significant religious institution. Zwingli's ideas on the separation of church and state and the importance of civil authority being subject to God's sovereign rule continue to shape Swiss society.
In conclusion, Ulrich Zwingli's influence and legacy can be seen in his reforms in Switzerland, his theology, his influence on other reformers, and his lasting impact on Swiss society. His emphasis on the authority of Scripture and the importance of preaching continue to shape Reformed theology and practice today.
Citations:
[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Huldrych-Zwingli
[2] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Huldrych-Zwingli/Zwinglis-theses
[3] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-know-ulrich-zwingli/
[4] https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/history/protestant-reformation/zwingli/
[5] http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S0259-94222019000400062&script=sci_arttext
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huldrych_Zwingli
[7] https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/zurich-revolutionary-ulrich-zwingli
[8] https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ulrich_Zwingli
[9] https://historylearning.com/german-reformation/zwingli-influential/
[10] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/urban-reformation-the-life-and-thought-of-zwingli
[11] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/moversandshakers/ulrich-zwingli.html
[12] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-4/spread-of-zwingli-reformation.html
[13] https://www.worldhistory.org/Huldrych_Zwingli/
[14] https://www.religion-online.org/article/ulrich-zwingli-prophet-of-the-modern-world/
[15] https://museeprotestant.org/en/notice/ulrich-zwingli-1484-1531/
[16] https://www.learnreligions.com/ulrich-zwingli-biography-699999
[17] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/spread-of-zwingli-reformation
[18] https://study.com/learn/lesson/ulrich-zwingli-john-calvin-history-significance-impact.html