Ulrich Zwingli: Who Was He?
Many Protestants studying church history have heard of
Ulrich Zwingli, but who was he and what did he do? Zwingli is considered one of
the major reformers. He was born in 1484 in Switzerland and, like Martin Luther
and John Calvin, was a pastor. But his story is distinctly different. John
Calvin died in peaceable circumstances and Martin Luther succumbed to a stroke.
Ulrich Zwingli, however, died a martyr.
If there was a less-than-favorable result of the
Protestant Reformation it was that every reformer had slightly different views
on important Christian issues. Instead of building on similarities instead of
differences, reformers and their followers often struck out on their own,
resulting in the Anabaptist, Lutheran, and Calvinist schools of thought, as
well as others. Against the powerful might of the 16th century
Catholic Church, they might have done better to band together. This proves that
even men with good intentions are indeed still men, humans who nurse prejudices
and make uninformed decisions. Yet they desired pure Christianity, and their
hearts were in the right place.
So what did Zwingli believe and how might his views be
classified? Like other newborn Protestant groups, he took only Scripture as his
authority. His major differences occur in his opinion of how baptism and
Communion should be celebrated. There were two of most volatile differences
between various Protestant churches and the Catholic Church in the 16th
century. Like John Calvin, Zwingli declared that nothing “supernatural” took
place during Communion and that it was merely a symbol of Christ’s presence at
the Last Supper and of His ultimate sacrifice.
He disavowed the
necessity of special services, believing that man’s one-on-one with God was
enough, yet he also advocated strongly for church services that were based only
on Scripture. Zwingli attempted to enforce morality, backed by the council of
Zurich, and he established the Court of Morals. His personal beliefs and
sentiments were outlined in the “67 Articles” of 1523.
So, what shaped Zwingli the man as opposed to Zwingli the
reformer? There were a few defining moments in his life that may have served to
make him the person he became. He grew up with eight brothers and sisters, a
fact which although it may not have shaped his future life and theology, must
have been challenging! In 1506 he became a Catholic priest. His ascent to Protestantism
was slow and certainly unexpected in the first few years of his life. As a
reward for helping to defend Roman principles against France and other dreaded
opponents, he received a pension from the pope. His defense of Protestant
principles would come far in the future. Seeing the exhortations of reformers
such as Martin Luther, he would eventually be driven to do the same.
In 1519, at age thirty-five, Zurich, Zwingli’s current
home, was ravaged by the plague. Such diseases were sudden and terrible in the
16th century. The sheer randomness of death for most and recovery
for a few was beyond frightening, yet, a firm Christian, Zwingli seemingly
showed little fear for his own impending doom. No one but God knows why and how
the reformer recovered when his friends were dropping like flies.
Ulrich Zwingli’s family life was complicated. In 1522,
after a controversy that involved widow Anna Reinhard, he took Anna as his
wife. He became the father of four children. The 1520s and 1530s were
full of conflict as he fought restrictions and refused to completely agree with
any of his Protestant contemporaries. If you compare his doctrine with
other doctrines popularized in the 16th century, you might come to
the conclusion that Ulrich Zwingli was a cross between Martin Luther and John
Calvin . . . like Calvin, as said, he believed that Communion was symbolic, but
unlike Calvin, he did not subscribe to theories such as election and
predestination. Likewise, he admired Luther but often found himself ill-at-odds
with him.
Time went on. Zwingli and the Lutherans refused an
alliance. Neither one could tolerate the Anabaptists, while the Catholics saw
all three groups as heretics and rebels. Entire Swiss cities and states took up
arms against each other. This resulted in the First Kappel War. In October 1531
Ulrich Zwingli was wounded in battle. Injured and unable to speak, he bore the
mistreatment of his enemies. One does not desire to picture what hardships must
have been placed upon his shoulders. They demanded that he confess and recant.
He refused with all the spur-of-the-moment courage to which Protestants of the
16th century had become so accustomed. “Die, then, stiff-necked
heretic,” said his executioner, and the words were turned into deeds.
The world still marks his passing.
(c) 2012 Joyously Saved
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