Zwingli was also so offended that Luther was treating him like an ass that the two were never personally reconciled. We shall now briefly show this as we look at the contrast of theological views between Zwingli and Luther. This is especially significant because 2019 marks the 500th anniversary of Zwingli. Therefore, 'Anabaptism' is often referred to as the 'left wing of the Reformation' or the 'radical Reformation' (McGrath 2012:9). Many of the territories were rural, but some were city states with councils run by representatives of the guilds and the highest standing families of the town. [Links], Correspondence: Jerry Pillay jerry.pillay@up.ac.za, Received: 01 July 2019 Accepted: 27 July 2019 Published: 11 Nov. 2019. Zwingli's sudden death in 1531 meant that he did not have sufficient time to fully develop his theology like Luther or Calvin; yet his contributions were enormous. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. [Links], Opitz, P., 2015b, Ulrich Zwingli: Prophet, Ketzer, Pionier des Protestantismus, TVZ Theologischer Verlag Zrich, Zrich. For this reason, Zwingli has been often praised for his 'modernity' and is perceived by liberal theologians of the 19th century as a precursor of their own vision of a cultural Protestantism (Opitz 2008:957). At the beginning of the 16th century, there was a power struggle going on between France and the Holy Roman Empire with its Habsburg emperor in Austria and the pope in Rome. In ecumenical circles, it is no longer acknowledged that the Mass actually represents the norm of Christian worship. Joe Carter is a senior writer for The Gospel Coalition, author of The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents, the editor of the NIV Lifehacks Bible, and coauthor of How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from Historys Greatest Communicator. The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, https://www.academia.edu/15358770/The_Swiss_Contribution_to_the_Reformation_Movement, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8171.2008.00106.x. For Zwingli, however, the discussion of faith was always closely linked to human response, in which life is transformed to doing God's work in the world. Faith, from a theological angle, is the free gift of God's spirit. Not the doctrine of justification but Christ's call to reconciliation was central. However, unlike the German reformer, for the Swiss priest transformation emanated not from a personal crisis of spiritual torment but from an Old Testament sense that an idolatrous people stood before the immediate judgement of God (Gordon 2015:126). We shall now explore selected themes and events to illustrate Zwingli's connection of faith and society in the transformation of Zurich. Luther put Christ at the centre of his theologia crucis and drew a distinction between righteousness by faith and righteousness by works.

For contemporary citizens of Zurich, Zwingli has become the poster boy for all that is wrong with organised religion: narrow mindedness, intolerance and sexual repression (Du Magazine 1998). The congregational service or response (prayers, lessons, creeds, etc.) Project Leader: J. Pillay Project Number: 04653484 Description: This research is part of the project, 'African Christianity and Development', directed by Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, Department of Church History and Church Polity, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria. The money saved by doing away with sanctuary art and relics was used to help the poor. Although Zwingli had sympathised with their position on baptism at the beginning, he found a way to legitimise the baptism of infants by interpreting the New Testament against the background of the Old Testament. Zwingli began to preach the same message Luther would soon proclaim, Steven Lawson notes. The Bishop was not interested in cutting off this steady source of income. ), The Cambridge companion to Reformation Theology, pp. Primarily for this reason, he preached his first sermon on 01 January 1519, his 35th birthday, disregarding texts prescribed by the church, and began with his lectio continua. Because Jesus was physically present at the institution of Supper, any corporeal presence must be rejected, and because Jesus was presently seated at the right hand of the Father physical presence in the elements was precluded. Zwingli was also concerned about the mental, emotional and physical injuries on the men when they returned from battle. He was against the Anabaptists' claiming to know who was a true Christian. Today there are far more tolerance on these matters than what was prevalent in the 16th century; however, the issues surrounding baptism are still with us. This article followed all ethical standards for a research without direct contact with human or animal subjects. Zwingli grew up with a feel for public responsibility, with an eye for the real-life struggles and needs of the people. This, inevitably, also had a bearing on the rights of women which we will now explore. In comparison with Luther's 'Christology of Christmas', Zwingli's, however, can be characterised as a 'Christology of Easter and Ascension of Christ' (Locher 1979:207). Please make sure all fields are filled out. But we cannot see who all belongs to the invisible church, the Body of Christ worldwide. Official apologies were made by the City of Zrich and the Reformed Church of Zrich in 2004. In 1519 he started preaching through the Gospel of Matthew, a method known as lectio continua. They claimed that buying a letter of indulgence would shorten your time in purgatory. Several of his friends, including the printer Christoph Froschauer, broke the Lenten fast by consuming meat. & Moser, C., 2014, Following Zwingli: Applying the past in reformation Zurich, Ashgate, Surrey. Zwingli taught that the sacrament of baptism replaced the rite of circumcision in the Old Testament. They are symbols through which the Spirit works, but in themselves they do not convey grace or impart faith.

The debate on the ministry and ordination of women in the church, also in Protestant and Reformed churches, continues even today, but Zwingli, at least, opened the door for conversation on this subject in the Roman Catholic Church during his time. U.S. House Officially Abandons Support for Traditional Marriage, President Biden Issues Executive Order Attempting to Protect Abortion, The FAQs: SCOTUS Upholds Religious Freedom in Praying Coach Case, Supreme Court Upholds Freedom of Religious Families and Schools. Nor lets me have an hour's rest or repose. Not just over just personal life, not just over church life, but over everything. His New Testament was the basis for the Bible translations into the vernacular during the Reformation. Even as the reformers at Marburg agreed on 14 of the 15 doctrinal matters of Protestant theology discussed at the colloquy, they left divided and discouraged. It is thus not surprising that the Bible was at the heart of Zwingli's Reformation.

At the same time, the plague kept sweeping through, wiping out a fourth of the population each time. Something mystical did happen . Zwingli's intentions were unmistakable; he sought to force the Catholic acceptance of the evangelical faith and to couple the Word of God with the military might of Zurich to achieve his martial purpose (Gordon 2015:159). For him the Gospel was the life and work of Christ, and Christ calling and drawing us into joyful communion with God and with the community, showing us how to serve God. His main concern was that the Swiss avoid foreign entanglements, not armed conflict altogether (Potter 1976:35-36). On 05 January 1527, Zwingli had the unfortunate experience to oversee the drowning of Felix Manz, his former student and friend who had betrayed his teacher by playing a key role in the re-baptisms of 1525 (Eccher 2017:44). 1. Drawing heavily from Erasmus, he believed that the literal meaning of the Bible was dictated by historical context. Zwingli underlined his attack on the mercenary activities of the Confederates with the statement that 'God punishes evil men with evil' - wars are always a divine punishment. It was being active and creative as images of God, the Creator. The Swiss Reformation was an education movement and a movement of social reform in as much as it was religious from the outset. Added to his response to the Anabaptism, Zwingli deliberated on the idea of the visible and invisible church. As Sean Michael Lucas remarks, Its notable that the single most important division between the Lutheran and Reformed streams remains the Lords Supper. That divide has its roots in the disagreement between Zwingli and Luther about how to interpret Christs words this is my body (Luke 22:19). Moreover, they encourage superstition. [Links], Locher, G.W., 1979, Die Zwinglische Reformation in Rahmen der europaischen kirchengeschichte, Vandenhoeck und Rupert, Gottingen. . Death was ever-present. The Reformation of faith and society in Zrich. This is notable in his work in Zurich as a preacher, theologian and reformer. In celebrating the 500th anniversary of Huldrych Zwingli in 2019, this article has set out to explore the contributions of this reformer to the Reformation in Zurich and to the 16th-century Reformation in general. [Links], Zwingli, H., 1995b, 'Gttliche und menschlicheGerechtigkeit, 1523', Schriften I, pp. . The first Anabaptists (the word means re-baptisers) as they were called were Zwingli's friends from the beginning. Zwingli believed that the more faith develops, the more God is in you, and the more God is in you, the greater the work of good within you. 80-99, Cambridge University Press, Edinburgh. Thus, after 2 years of living secretly with Anna Reinhart, they got married publicly in the Great Minster. In short, Luther was experiencing the End of Time; Zwingli lived in modern times. Zwingli was influenced by Erasmus as a scholar whose humanist concerns led him to the New Testament and the fathers. He believed in the rule of God extending over all of life. Besides that, girls were taught to read like boys. If politics, economics and social relationships were not at least informed by the standards of divine justice, the strong would always dominate and the weak would be oppressed (Zwingli 1995b:175-176). He said it was selling people for greed. Luther appears as the key to the reformation, the norm by which all other reformers and all other expressions of the reformation are judged. He saw the Catholic and Lutheran teaching on the sacraments as an assault on God's freedom. . In the late Middle Ages, what is now Switzerland was a Confederacy of mostly self-governing territories, surrounded by affiliated regions. Will you, however, that death take me in the midst of my days, so let it be. But they soon came up with reforms based on their reading of the Sermon on the Mount that went further than Zwingli and the Council was willing to go. Huldyrch Zwingli, the first Swiss reformer in Zurich, made significant contributions to the 16th-century Reformation, yet he remains relatively unknown, if not forgotten. A service was basically hearing God's word and responding - with prayer and with a pious life all throughout the week. . This, undoubtedly, is what we see in Zwingli's contributions to the Reformation. Zwingli's theological views were picked up and taken further by his successor, Heinrich Bullinger. Zwingli believed the Bible should be applied to every area of life, and that the gospel is about more than individual salvation. [Links], Opitz, P., 2015a, 'The Swiss contribution to the reformation movement', in P. Bosse-Huber (ed. who slew the Roman boar and said, Here indeed you were the only faithful David anointed hereto by the Lord and furnished likewise with arms. Luther, in contrast, never held Zwingli in such high regard. Renaissance humanism was a method of learning based on an intellectual investment in ancient sources. It was a manifest of Christian freedom with the title: 'Regarding the Choice and Freedom of Food'. He was concerned that people were praying to statues and putting their trust in relics instead of in God. Thus, for Zwingli, the Mass became a simple meal of remembrance and fellowship (we will discuss this later). It is this belief that compelled Zwingli's Reformation in Zurich. Zwingli was born on January 1, 1484, in the eastern part of modern-day Switzerland. Your vessel am I, to make or break altogether. In fact, Zwingli put so much of emphasis on the divinity of Christ that Luther attacked him stating that the Swiss reformer had too radically separated Christ's human and divine natures, undoing the Chalcedonian formula. The commission that organised everything and kept the lists was made up of representatives of the city council and two advisory ministers of the church. On another note, Zwingli considered church art, relics of saints and artefacts as a waste of money and a burden on the poor, who were heavily taxed to pay for these things. So the Council ordered in 1523 that Zwingli continue preaching the Bible. He subsequently defended the act from the pulpit by preaching and publishing a sermon to defend the act of disobedience, biblically. So young boys and men of the Swiss Confederacy were exported to foreign armies and ended up having to fight against each other. Because the Lord's Supper is a celebration of reconciliation, it could also be a place where impenitent sinners may return and repent. But Zwingli was not Luther, nor a variant of Luther. And doing one's job on a weekday was also a way of worshipping and glorifying God. He started interpreting the New Testament in Swiss German, beginning with Matthew, Chapter 1 and continued Sunday for Sunday. For Zwingli, 'theocentricity' and 'christocentricity' are no alternatives (Stephens 2004:84). The 16th-century Reformation was to extend beyond the church and theology into transforming society, economics and politics as well; this is clearly seen in the contributions of Zwingli as shown above. In his own way, Zwingli affirmed the rights of women. We believe that this article would increase the appreciation and recognition of this great reformer in his own right and context. This provided a path towards formally establishing the Reformation in Zurich. However, this was to change with time as he 'attacked Catholics, forcefully admonished the faithful and (supposedly) drowned Anabaptists' (see Gordon 2015:159). For Zwingli, the poor are the true images of God. The first reformed state welfare system in Zurich became a model for many similar institutions in Europe. For Zwingli, Erasmus had freed the Scriptures from scholasticism, and under his influence Zwingli became a theologian not in a scholastic but in a humanist sense (Stephens 1992:15). To gain further insight into this, we shall now look at his Reformation in Zurich. Once he began his work at Zurich on 01 January 1519, things were decidedly different; his priestly programme deviated from the standard clerical norm. Zwingli's Reformation in Zurich and his theological views continue to impact Christians and the world at large even today. For Zwingli, the Bible was at the heart of worship. Whole villages were massacred.

It is in this sense that his theological views differed from that of Luther and other reformers. The Zwingli statue in Zurich captures this perplexed and confusing character with a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other. He is generally overshadowed by other reformers, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin. While still a priest, he married the widow Anna Reinharda year before Luther married the former nun Katharina von Bora. The motto of humanism was ad fontes - back to the sources. This is captured in a poem he penned in 1520 (Hendrix 2009): Stand before me, Christ, for you have overcome him. The revolutionary thing about this is that a political authority gave a verdict on religious matters in the city. It was not until he became an adult that he changed his name to Huldrych, which means 'rich in grace'. . The liturgical elements are not intended to provide a 'frame' for the sermon nor does it have the task of containing and balancing the subjectivity of preaching. Zwingli's theology, on the contrary, is a theology of reconciliation and liberation through God in Christ. I followed holy Scripturealone.. He was the son of a well-off farmer who was also the mayor of a mountainous area in East Switzerland. The profound impact of the rediscovery of the Bible, coupled with his love for his country, did not allow him any peace. According to Locher (1981:37), among the reformers, it was not Calvin, and certainly not Luther, but Zwingli, who strove for a theocracy; not, that is to say, the establishment of domination by the church or even by ministers, but rather that even public affairs should be directed by the Spirit of God. McGrath (2012:81) establishes that 'it is impossible to understand the career and strategy of the Swiss reformer Huldrych Zwingli without considering his background within the Swiss Confederation'. He believed that everyone should be able to read the Bible and participate. His teaching on the Lord's Supper, usually designated 'memorialist' or 'real absence', taught that the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper are outward signs of faith that engage the senses and direct them to Christ. Zwingli is often not recognised oraccorded his rightful place in his contributions to the Reformation because he is hugely overshadowed by reformers such as Luther and Calvin. They had no rights or social standing. For Zwingli, the Bible became the primary source of Christian faith and measure of sound Theology - no longer tradition, dogma, decisions of councils and popes. Six hundred people came to witness the disputation in the town hall of Zrich on 05 January 1523. It would be true to say that Zwingli's contributions to this understanding were essential. Not only Bullinger, but John Calvin also embraced and took Zwingli's theological contributions further. They found it easy to keep the people in check by cultivating their fears. At the table sinners were gathered, invited directly by Christ himself, as in the parable of the beggars invited to the great banquet in Luke 14. Then they organised a public debate - the Bishop's representatives against Zwingli. Zwingli then continued to preach expositional sermons through Acts, Timothy, Galatians, 1 and 2 Peter, Hebrews, the Gospel of John, and the other Pauline letters before turning to the Old Testament, beginning with the Psalms, then the Pentateuch and the historical books. . Also, divorces were legalised under certain circumstances. So he was also against refusing admission to the Lord's Table on moral or theological grounds. . The sharpest difference between Zwingli and Luther is to be found in their understanding of the sacraments. The year 2019 marks the 500th anniversary of Huldyrch Zwingli who was one of the pioneering leaders in the 16th-century Reformation. (p. 195). Calling out injustice and impacting society. He was very intelligent, curious and musical. It was to no avail. He was averse both to the doctrine of transubstantiation and to seeing the sacraments functioning as a means of saving grace. [Links], Eccher, S.B., 2017, 'Hulydrych Zwingli: Reformation in conflict', Perichoresis 15(4), 33-53. https://doi.org/10.1515/perc-2017-0021[Links], George, T., 1998, Theology of the reformers, Boardman Press, Youngstown, OH. The relationship between state and church is an ongoing debate which we shall return to later. Plague besieged Zurich in 1519 just as Zwingli began serving in his new post as Leutpriester [parish priest]. (p. 50). Luther, whose name I did not know for at least another two years, had definitely not instructed me. 183-184). At that time the complete separation of church and state was unthinkable. In his Clarity and Certainty of the Word of God in 1522, he spoke of the importance of learning God's teaching from God's plain word, and seeking understanding from God rather than from commentaries and expositors (Stephens 1992:21). The bread was passed around so that one could be reconciled with one's brother or sister as the bread was shared. For example, Conrad Grebel (ca. Zwingli called out legalism, corruption, greed and hypocrisy in the name of the Gospel of Christ. In the modern age, Zwingli's directions concerning the state are no longer tenable (Locher 1981:38). Amidst his efforts to reform the Zurich Church in the early 1520s, Zwingli initially retained the Roman Catholic notion that God acted in the sacraments, even as he jettisoned the idea that this activity was salvific (Eccher 2017:36). The Council proclaimed Zwingli the winner. In an age when priests were often unfamiliar with the Scriptures, according toChristian History magazine, Zwingli became enamored with it, after purchasing a copy of Erasmuss New Testament Latin translation. Eccher (2017:46) points out that Zwingli's reaction was not a mere reaction, but mostly a by-product of his humanistic hermeneutic. Christ calls, therefore the invitation is open. 67-76, Geneva World Council of Churches Publications, Geneva, viewed from https://www.academia.edu/15358770/The_Swiss_Contribution_to_the_Reformation_Movement. The Gospel liberates one to a life of faith. This inevitably became the guiding factor of the Reformation because Zwingli believed that you could not engage religious reform without at the same time seeking political, economic and social reform and transformation as well. Several of Zwingli's key theological beliefs are presently found in certain modern day Presbyterian and Baptist traditions, demonstrating his importance to the Protestant heritage. [Links], Gordon, B., 2015, 'Hulydrych Zwingli', The Expository Time 126(4), 157-168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014524614560493[Links], Hendrix, S.H., 2009, Early protestant spirituality, Paulist Press, New York. Huldyrch Zwingli's contribution to the Reformation, Department of Church History and Church Polity, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. Do what you will, nothing shall be too much for me. For Erasmus of Rotterdam, who taught in Basel, a humanist approach meant studying the Bible in its original languages. Their children were illegitimate. While he spoke against war he accepted the theory of the 'just war' and he used this to fearlessly defend the Gospel. In the next section, we will continue to refer to Zwingli's contribution to the16th-Century Reformation by contrasting his theological views with that of Luther. At the end of 1518, Zwingli was accorded the honour of serving as 'people's priest' in Zurich. As a consequence, faith is an essential liberation from all human bonds and all divinisation of the world which motivates us to do the will of God within the world, and to design it actively. They drank and gambled. It made a child part of the Covenant People. The 39th of his 67 theses states: '[t]herefore all of their laws should be according to the divine will, so that they protect the oppressed, even if the oppressed do not claim their rights' (Zwingli 1995a:371). The aim of this article is to show Zwingli as a valid and essential contributor to the 16th-century Reformation and, in some senses to, reclaim his position among the reformers. The aim of the article is to provide an overview of Zwingli's contributions to the Reformation and point out how his works, in given areas such as faith and society, theology and sacraments, have stimulated further developments and dialogues during the Reformation and beyond. I started preaching the gospel before I had even heard Luthers name . And he was constantly personally involved in political, economic, and military discussions and alliances in order to gain an advantage for the gospel., 8. [Links], Stephens, W.P., 1986, The theology of Huldrych Zwingli, Clarendon Press, Oxford. . but it happened to the people, not to the bread. At the heart of the Reformation was the rediscovery of the Bible; this was no different for Zwingli when compared with other reformers. Although the two Reformers agreed on 14 out of the 15 articles of faith, they could not come to an agreement about the Lords Supper. Despite being a co-creator of the Protestant Reformation, Zwinglis influence has been eclipsed by Luther (who outlived him) and by second-generation Swiss reformers such as Calvin and Bullinger. However, by 1525 the Swiss preacher reversed his position entirely. Embedded in his context, Zwingli's theological views were influenced and shaped in the encounters in Zurich. The church became susceptible to the influences of the Holy Roman Empire and wanted to cement its own power and keep the status quo (McGrath 2012:80-83). For example, he is repeatedly blamed for having inflicted upon the city a dreadful 'Puritanismus' that is anathema to modern creeds of diversity and acceptance. This was all he knew and it would greatly shape his early years (Eccher 2017:34) as he kept in line with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. His view in this regard distinguished him sharply from not only Luther but also from Calvin and other reformers. [Links], Locher, G.W., 1981, Zwingli's thought: New perspectives, E. J. Brill, Leiden. All authors contributed equally to this work. Many of the 14 000 casualties were Swiss. It is quite clear that influenced by these humanist ideals, Zwingli took a great interest in interpreting and applying the Scriptures. (pp. Does the NRSV Compromise on Homosexuality? He communicated a clear sense of a godly Christian community, arguing that the kingdom of God is visible in the here and now, that society could be transformed through the Word. For centuries, Zwingli's preaching has caused foreign mercenary service to be a pressing question of conscience, and particularly the 'pension system' linked to it that creates a financial interest in militarism (Locher 1981:16). It is clear that Zrich was a city becoming more autonomous, more democratic, more self-governing, under the influence of new values, discovered in the Bible. The city council protected Zwingli. It was on the basis of Scripture Zwingli attacked a number of beliefs and practices of the medieval church, such as indulgences, tithes and the invocation of the saints - needless to say this provoked opposition to him (Stephens 1992:17). It is this view that also informed Zwingli's understanding of the relationship between state and church. Zwingli was shocked and enraged and started preaching against the mercenary system that he continued to do in Zurich. Eccher (2017) makes this point: Though, deceased, Zwingli's theology continued to give life, direction and inspiration to the Zurich Church for generations.