TheThe ReformationReformationThe Swiss Reformation Ulrich Zwingli

Photo Credits•Sacred Destinations Lucas Cranach

•Gertrude Kanu Lee Lai

•Stephen Komp Charlotte Nordahl

•Mike Reed Alex Bepple

•Debra Dinda R. Bean

• Technically: Part of Holy Roman Empire

• Humanism made Switzerland key breeding ground for Reformation fever

• Three expressions of reformation emerged – Zwinglian: Ulrich Zwingli

German-speaking cantons of north (esp. Zurich)

– Calvinistic: John CalvinFrench speaking cantons in south (esp. Geneva)

– Anabaptist: Grebel, Hubmaier, Manz, Stattler, etc. Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands

The Unique Political-Religious Situation of Switzerland

• Born to well-connected parents

– Studied at humanistic Basel and Bern

– Embraced humanistic approach

to ad fontes

• Humanist door to evangelical

conversion

Huldrych (Ulrich) Zwingli (1484-1531)

Background

• Parish priest at Glarus

• Pilgrim shrine at Einsiedeln– Reputation as outspoken preacher

– Time of evangelical conversion

• Elected as people’s priest,Great Minster Church Zurich

Zwingli -- Religious Career

Einseideln Basilica © Sacred Destinations

Einseideln Abbey © Sacred Destinations

Grossmunster Zurich © Sacred Destinations

Grossmunster Zurich © Sacred Destinations

Zwingli’s Churchin Zurich

Grossmunster Zurich © Sacred Destinations

Grossmunster Zurich © Sacred Destinations

Zwingli’s Churchin Zurich

• Lenten fast broken in Zwingli’s parish

• Hermeneutical Crisis– T-2 - Word has equal authority with Fathers /

traditions as set by church councils, pope

– T-1 - Word has final authority, as historically interpreted by Fathers, and church

– T-0 - Word alone without context of historical interpretation (no exegetical history)

• City council defends Zwingli– Reformation practices promoted

From Priesthood to Politics of Reform

• First Zurich Disputation– “Sixty-seven Articles”

• Second Zurich Disputation– Council chose “Gradualism”

• Open breach with Rome– Council orders implementation of

significant reforms

– Zwingli’s influence finds expression in other free cities

• Basel / Bern / Strassburg

The Public Disputations

Reformation Cities of the Swiss Confederation

Schleitheim

• Christian Civic Alliance (Protestants)

• Christian Union (counter-Protestant cantons)

• Peace of Kappel

– Zwingli disrupts it, fatally wounded, then executed

• Zurich church reform by Heinrich Bullinger

– Composed First Helvetic Confession

Swiss Mosaic led to Civil Wars

(1526-1531)

• Upheld absolute authority of Bible– Nothing in religion unless approved by Scripture

(no adiaphora considered)

• Accepted unconditional predestination– Of those rejecting gospel message

• Faith is essential ingredient in sacraments– Symbolic commemoration only

• Original sin is moral disease, but without bearing guilt– Infants saved w/o baptism

Zwingli’s Doctrinal Contributions

TheThe ReformationReformationThe Radical ReformationFrom Blaurock to Menno Simons

Photo Credits•Sacred Destinations Lucas Cranach

•Gertrude Kanu Lee Lai

•Stephen Komp Charlotte Nordahl

•Mike Reed Alex Bepple

•Debra Dinda R. Bean

Gish’s Left Wing of the Reformation

Evangelical Rationalists AnabaptistsRevolutionaries

Spiritualizers / Socialists

ServetusSocinius

HubmaierSattler

Simmons

HoffmanRothmann

HuttHutter

transitioned into…

UnitarianismEvangelical Mainstream

”Free Churches”Mennonites

Apocalyptic SectsCommunist Communities

Diverse Expressionsof

Radical Reformers

• Anabaptists were to Zwingli as Karlstadt was to Luther

• Felt Zwingli was false prophet

• Second Disputation in Zurich brought crisis to forefront

• Underlying issue: Church-State as co-terminus entities

• Separation of church and state was “Radical” and deadly for adherents

Roots:Unrealized Agenda of Zwingli in Zurich

• Crisis Point: Anabaptist reformers gather

with Zwingli for public debate

– Issue: Will the concept of infant baptism be

rejected or not?

• Separation: Founding of the Swiss

Brethren

– Public baptisms begin on Jan 21, 1525

– Strong resistance to this movement from both

Catholics and Protestants

Emergence:Early Anabaptism (Swiss Brethren)

• Many forced to flee from S. Germany,

Switzerland, Moravia

• Territorial rulers first tried to suppress it

with mandates against it

• Charles V ordered death penalty on basis of

old Roman Laws against Donatists

– Second Diet of Speyer, 1529 (where Protestio

lodged) approved this imperial decree

Dispersion:Under Intense Pressure

• Augsburg: Martyrs Synod (1527)

• Strassburg: Swiss refugee community led

by Michael Sattler

• Schleitheim: The Schleitheim Confession

– Martyrdom of Sattler

Expansion:German Anabaptist Centers

• Hoffman came to Strassburg being hailed as

“Apostle of the end”

• Jan Matthys assumed lead of chilliastic group

• Destructive implications of Tradition Zero

– John Leyden takes over as new “King of Jerusalem”

• Bishop joins Lutheran forces and captures

city

• Debacle damaged Anabaptist cause

Confusion:Revolutionary Anabaptists at Münster

• Recovery from tragedy of Münster

associations

• Hutterites in Moravia

– Jacob Hutter

• Mennonites in Netherlands / North

Germany

– Menno Simons: Father of Centrist Anabaptism

Corrections:Gathering centric theological forces

Menno SimonsChristoffel van Sichem. Engraving c. 1608.

This is considered to be the oldest portrait of Menno Simons, who died in 1561. Van Sichem was Roman

Catholic; some people see in the brim of the hat the ears of a donkey, meant to ridicule Menno and his followers.

Menno SimonsTom (Oliver Wendel) Shenk. Oil painting, 1975.

Commissioned by Myron S. Augsburger for Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, VA,

where the picture is now hanging

• Final authority of Bible as infallible rule of faith / practice

• Pure church comprised of confessing regenerate only

• Inclination to pacifism and a theology of martyrdom

• Emphasis on caring community / commonality of goods

• Lineal ancestor to significant groups today

– Directly: Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites

– Indirect: Quakers, Puritan Separatists, Baptists

• Believer’s only or “pure” church had ironic secularizing effect

Contributions:Ideas influencing evangelicals

TheThe LaterLater ReformationReformationThe Reformed TraditionJohn Calvin

Photo Credits•Sacred Destinations Lucas Cranach

•Gertrude Kanu Lee Lai

•Stephen Komp Charlotte Nordahl

•Mike Reed Alex Bepple

•Debra Dinda R. Bean

• French speaking territory in contested neighborhood of Lake Geneva

• Guillaume Farelcarried outreform plans

Geneva was contested territory

• Early Years– Born near Paris – M.A. at University of Paris, then Law Degree

• Launching his career: 1532-1536– Influence of humanist reformers in France – “Sudden Conversion” – Inaugural address of Nicholas Cop – France becoming unsafe for reformers – Composed Institutes of the Christian Religion

• The road to Geneva – Long conversation with Farel to persuade Calvin

Biographical Sketch – John Calvin (Jean Cauvin) (1509-1564)

Auditoire de Calvin© Sacred Destinations

Auditoire de Calvin© Sacred Destinations

• Calvin/Farel proposed a three-fold plan before

Little Council for implementing reform

– Adoption of Calvin’s catechism

– Everyone to follow Creed written by Farel

– Monthly administration of Lord’s Supper

(fencing table)

• Strong opposition to Calvin’s plans

– Standoff with officials on Easter Sunday, 1538

– Calvin expelled from Geneva

Work of reform in Geneva: 1532-36

Happy Strasburg years: 1538-41

• Calvin pastors French refugees at

Strassburg

• Writing career developed

– French liturgy / translations of psalms / hymns

– Second edition of the Institutes

– Commentary on Romans

– Reply to Sadoleto vindicating Protestant

principles

– The Short Treatise on the Lord’s Supper

Return to Geneva: 1541-61

• Political reversal enabled reforming forces to

recall Calvin

– Returns with hesitation practically on his own

terms

• Convinced city council to pass Ecclesiastical

Ordinances

• “The Venerable Company” a consistory as

key element in the system

– For church administration, encouragement, and

discipline of community

Life under the new “theocratic model” of Calvin’s Geneva • Leaders embark on moral reclamation of city

• Growing opposition of “Libertines”

– Trial of Servetus

• Calvin’s crowning work: Genevan Academy

– Influential epicenter of Reformed theology

– Headed up by Calvin’s successor in Geneva,

Theodore Beza

Legacy of Calvin: Forefather of the Reformed Faith

1. Voluminous writings

2. Advancement in education

3. Geneva as model and refuge for reformers

4. Growth of democracy: representative

principle in church and state

5. Growth of capitalism

6. Retardation of mission