Huldrych Zwingli: The Early Reformation in Switzerland

Question 1

Overview of Zwingli’s life and education

Answer 1

• Born in St Gall - Swiss Canton
• Swiss Cantons were autonomous and feircely independent - Confederation was independent of HRE
• Educated in Basel, Berne, Vienna - influenced hugely by Erasmus and the humanist movement
• Worked as a priest in Einsiedeln - Marian shrine - reputation as a great preacher, had a concubine
• Invited to Zurich

Question 2

Reformation in Zurich

Answer 2

• 1519 - unconventional preacher - chose own scriptures (humanist approach)
• All preaching and whorship to be exclusively based on bible (move from emphasis on scripture, to scripture alone)
• 1523 City council mandate (Zwingli on council too) - symbiotic relationship between preacher/political authorities
• Zwingli denounced traditional Catholic practices, petitioned for clerical marriage, defended sausage rebellion
• 1523 First Zurich Disputation 67 articles - what was the basis for religious authority - in German - council voted in favour of Zwingli Political authority decided about religious policy and content
• Oct 1523 Second Zurich Disputation - Mass abolished (effective 1525), Removal of images (in due time) - Critis include Traditional Catholics and future Anabaptists annoyed council calling the shots.

Question 3

Zwingli v Luther

Answer 3

Zwingli more humanistic influence (neoplatonic philosophy)
Differing understanding of faith / secular authority (Luther two kingdoms, Zwingli two part of whole
Zwingli urban background (not monastic)
Zwingli - all govt laws should conform to God’s

Question 4

Conflict between Cantons

Answer 4

• Accepted by Berne, Basel and Zurich - Swiss Protestant Alliance
• Rejected by Catholic Alliance (5 rural Swiss Cantons)
• 1529 first conflict ended with deadlocked treaty
• 1531 - protestant blockade of Catholic Cantons
• 1531 - Catholics attacked Zurich in Battle of Kappel - Zwingli killed

Question 5

Marburg Colloquy

Answer 5

• 1529 - Called by Philip of Hesse (wanted protestant alliance against Charles V)
• Dispute between Luther and Zwingli
• Agreed on 14 of 15 disuputed issues
• Disagreed on Lord’s Supper - Luther believed in real presence although not Aritotelean construct of transubstantiation. Zwingli - symbolic