500: Reformation Swiss-style

I originally did my 500 series in 2017 on the lead up to the 500th anniversary of Luther's 95 theses, considered the beginning of Protestantism. I didn't continue it, as the stories grow convoluted as different branches of faith arise in different areas with overlapping timelines. However, this year is the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, a movement which many of my ancestors followed. So I will continue the series a bit on the lead up to the radical "re-baptizers." 

Ulrich Zwingli was born in 1484 in Switzerland into a family of farmers. At age ten, he was sent to school in Basel, then three years later went to Bern. He studied under the Dominicans, and it’s possible he became a novice. However, he did not join the Dominicans and instead went to the University of Vienna and the University of Basel. He was ordained a priest in 1506.

He served as a pastor in Glarus, a city whose soldiers served as mercenaries all over Europe. Zwingli served as a chaplain for several campaigns in Italy against the French. However, after the Battle of Marignano in 1515, the city began to side more strongly with the French (against the Papal States).

Zwingli, loyal to the pope, left to Einsiedeln monastery for two years, retreating from politics. He grew convinced that mercenary service was immoral, and he furthered his theological studies. He began corresponding with humanists, and even met with Erasmus twice. During this time, his theology evolved. He grew strongly convinced that doctrine must be backed up by scripture (rather than scripture, tradition, and Church documents). In December 1518 a post opened up at the Grossmünster in Zurich; his positions on humanist reform and opposition to the French/Italian politics were welcomed in Zurich, and he became the priest at the Grossmünster. (Note that this is about 14 months after Luther in Germany has posted his theses.)

On Jan. 1, 1519, Zwingli gave his first sermon at the church; rather than preaching on the day’s Gospel reading, as was usual, he based his sermon on Erasmus’ New Testament. Every Sunday, he continued to work his way through the New Testament, reading and giving his interpretation of the text. His own theological perspective immerged through these sermons. He decried moral corruption, waste in the Church, veneration of saints, and the belief that unbaptized children were damned. His ideas were popular in the city, and when confronted by opposition, he argued that he could back up everything he said with scripture.  

Similar to Luther, a breaking point came when a Church representative came to the city, selling indulgences for the building of St. Peter’s in Rome. Parishioners asked Zwingli about the indulgence; he said they were being duped. The city counsel, with the backing of the Bishop of Constance, refused the representative entry into the city. In 1521, Zwingli became a canon, serving in both a religious and political role. He had great influence on the city council, who often sided with him in subsequent debates. I find it interesting that he once retreated from political life only to find himself there again. Zwingli believed that church and civil community overlapped and used local civil authority to resist Church interference and promote his beliefs in Zurich.