Ulrich Zwingli

When we think about the Protestant Reformation, we tend to think of Martin Luther and Germany. Ulrich Zwingli, a Swiss reformer, is often overlooked! Who was he? What did he believe in? Did Luther and Zwingli agree on their interpretations of the Bible? Let's take a closer look!

Ulrich Zwingli Biography

Ulrich Zwingli was born in 1484 in Wildhous, Gallen in Switzerland. His parents wanted him to become a priest. In 1500, Zwingli entered the University of Vienna, yet he finished his degree at the University of Basel in 1504. In 1506, the young Zwingli graduated with his Master's Degree. That same year, Zwingli entered his first position as a priest at the church in Glarus. He was also a chaplain for the Swiss soldiers.

Image of Ulrich Zwingli

Ulrich Zwingli Beliefs

While at university, Zwingli was exposed to the teachings of Desiderius Erasmus. He read Erasmus's Greek translation of the Bible. This led the young priest to compare Apostle Peter's Biblical church to the church of his own era.

Zwingli's beliefs would require a reform of the Catholic Church in Switzerland. He believed that the Bible clearly defined what constituted sinful actions. Some Catholic rituals, such as the use of iconography, to Zwingli, were too similar to paganism as they led to idolatry.¹

Zwingli was against what he believed were the abuses of the Catholic Church. He disagreed with the practices of indulgences, fasting, private confessions, Mass, and, most importantly, false idols. Zwingli considered religious iconography to be idolatry. He didn't believe that music had a place in the church, either. Zwingli would even bury the bones of people considered to be sacred!

Ulrich Zwingli Reformation

Ulrich worked as a priest in Glarus for ten years. During this time, he wrote about the ways that the Swiss and French churches took advantage of the long Catholic regression and that it needed reform. Zwingli got a lot of negative attention for this and eventually was made to leave Glarus.

Fig 2: Ulrich Zwingli's reformative ideas gathered attention.

In 1519, Zwingli moved to Zurich and became a preacher at the Grossmünster (Grand Ministry) church. He would remain here for the rest of his life. In 1522, Zwingli, alongside other priests, wrote to the Bishop of Constance that priests should be allowed to marry. The Bishop denied this request, but Zwingli secretly married Anna Reinhard. Their marriage was announced two years later and was quite a scandal!

Zwingli wrote his beliefs down in a document known as the 67 Articles, and defended them at the First Disputation in 1523. Johann Faber challenged him on behalf of the Bishop of Constance. Zwingli won the debate, and the Grand Ministry chose to continue his reformations.

On October 26, 1523, Zwingli had his Second Disputation. This one aimed to stop Masses and the use of iconography in churches.

• Mass was a specific ceremony participated in on Sundays, and some traditions and rituals came along with it.
• Iconography refers to paintings of God, Jesus Christ, and Saints. It could also mean the bones of Saints or the statues of Mother Mary.

fig 3: The Virgin Mary is considered to be iconography. The above painting is from the Sistine Chapel.

The Second Disputation lasted three days and had over 900 attendees! The Bishop of Constance also disapproved of this disputation. However, after the meeting, Zwingli's teachings had convinced the people of Zurich. They even began transforming monasteries into schools and shelters.

Ulrich Zwingli and Martin Luther

Ulrich Zwingli and Martin Luther met in 1529 at the Colloquy of Marburg. They discussed their interpretations of the Bible and found that they couldn't agree on the role of God in the Last Supper. Both men believed that Christ was the center of the event, but Luther thought that he was physically present at the event. Zwingli disagreed and believed that he was only spiritually present.¹

Fig 4: Martin Luther (above image) and Ulrich Zwingli disagreed on the role of God in the Last Supper.

Ulrich Zwingli Writings

Ulrich Zwingli's most famous piece of writing was the 67 Articles. This document listed his beliefs and values. The most important one was that the Bible defined what constituted sin. Many of the things that Catholics considered sins were made sins by man, not God.

In 1519, the plague, known as the Black Death, was running rampant in Zurich. Many fled the city to avoid becoming ill. Zwingli refused to leave and continued to preach to the people of Zurich. He was infected by the plague and nearly died! During this near-death experience, he wrote his poem "Pestilence". This poem welcomed death because it was God's plan. In his mind, if he were to die, then the world couldn't corrupt him.

Ulrich Zwingli Accomplishments

Zwingli was a participant in the Protestant Reformation. In particular, his contributions helped push the Reformation in Switzerland. In 1524, Zwingli, along with other Swiss priests, translated the New Testament of the Bible into Swiss German. In 1530, they completed their translation of the entire Bible. His 67 Articles assisted in the Reformation to consolidate his beliefs. His movement in Zurich is an example of it.

Ulrich Zwingli was present as Army chaplain alongside Protestant soldiers in 1531 during the Battle of Kappel. He died on the battlefield at the age of 47. After Zwingli's death, the Swiss Reformation was led by Heinrich Bullinger, who eventually united the Swiss Reformed Church with Calvinism, a.k.a. the Reformed Protestant faith.