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Zwingli: God’s Armed Prophet
A major new biography of Huldrych Zwingli—the warrior preacher who shaped the early Reformation
Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531) was the most significant early reformer after Martin Luther. As the architect of the Reformation in Switzerland, he created the Reformed tradition later inherited by John Calvin. His movement ultimately became a global religion. A visionary of a new society, Zwingli was also a divisive and fiercely radical figure.
Bruce Gordon presents a fresh interpretation of the early Reformation and the key role played by Zwingli. A charismatic preacher and politician, Zwingli transformed church and society in Zurich and inspired supporters throughout Europe. Yet, Gordon shows, he was seen as an agitator and heretic by many and his bellicose, unyielding efforts to realize his vision would prove his undoing. Unable to control the movement he had launched, Zwingli died on the battlefield fighting his Catholic opponents.
Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531) was the most significant early reformer after Martin Luther. As the architect of the Reformation in Switzerland, he created the Reformed tradition later inherited by John Calvin. His movement ultimately became a global religion. A visionary of a new society, Zwingli was also a divisive and fiercely radical figure.
Bruce Gordon presents a fresh interpretation of the early Reformation and the key role played by Zwingli. A charismatic preacher and politician, Zwingli transformed church and society in Zurich and inspired supporters throughout Europe. Yet, Gordon shows, he was seen as an agitator and heretic by many and his bellicose, unyielding efforts to realize his vision would prove his undoing. Unable to control the movement he had launched, Zwingli died on the battlefield fighting his Catholic opponents.
376 pages, Hardcover
Published November 30, 2021
24 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Gordon
145 books28 followersTitus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History
http://divinity.yale.edu/gordon
bruce.gordon@yale.edu
Denomination: Presbyterian
A native of Canada, Bruce Gordon taught from 1994 to 2008 at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St Andrews Reformation Studies Institute. His research focuses on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation in German-speaking lands. He is the author of Calvin (Yale University Press, 2009), a biography that seeks to put the life of the influential reformer in the context of the sixteenth-century world. It is a study of Calvin’s character, his extensive network of personal contacts and of the complexities of church reform and theological exchange in the Reformation. The Swiss Reformation (Manchester University Press, 2002) (an “Outstanding Publication” for 2003 by Choice Magazine) studies the emergence of the Reformation n the multi-lingual world of the Swiss Confederation and its influence across Europe in the sixteenth century. His book Clerical Reformation and the Rural Reformation (1992) examined the creation of the first Protestant ministry, which took place in the Swiss city of Zurich and its numerous country parishes. In addition, he has edited books on the development of Protestant historical writing, the relationships between the dead and the living in late-medieval and early modern society, the Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger, and, most recently, on biblical culture in the sixteenth century. He was the principal investigator of a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom on Protestant Latin Bibles of the Sixteenth Century. The project explores the new translations of the Old and New Testaments by Protestant scholars into Latin during the Reformation and the questions posed by these extraordinary works for our understanding of translation, authority, material culture, confessional identity and theological formulation. The monograph is currently being completed. He has started work for Princeton University Press on a study of the reception of Calvin’s Institutes from the Reformation to the modern world. His teaching includes a lecture course on Western Christianity from the early church to the scientific revolution, and seminars on the culture of death, sources and methods of religious history, the Reformation, Calvinism, and the Reformed tradition from Zwingli to postmodernism. He teaches in the Department of History and in Renaissance Studies and works with graduate students on a wide range of topics in early modern religious history. He is on the board of various publishing series: St Andrews Studies in Reformation History (Ashgate), Zürcher Beiträge zur Reformationsgeschichte (Theologischer Verlag Zürich), and Refo500 Academic Studies (Vandenhoeck &Ruprecht). He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and in 2012 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. (Presbyterian)
Read a feature article about Professor Gordon.
Education
B.A. (Hons) King’s College
M.A. Dalhousie University
Ph.D University of St. Andrews
Books
1. Shaping the Bible in the Reformation. Books, Scholars and Their Readers in the Sixteenth Century, ed with Matthew McLean (Brill, 2012).
2. Calvin. 1509‐1564 (Yale University Press, 2009)
3. Architect of Reformation. An Introduction to Heinrich Bullinger, 1504‐1575, co-ed. (Baker Academic, 2004)
4. Translation and Edition of Hans R. Guggisberg, Sebastian Castellio. Defender of Religious Toleration (Ashgate Press, 2003)
5. The Swiss Reformation (Manchester University Press, 2002)
6. The Place of the Dead in Late Mediaeval and Early Modern Europe, ed. with Peter Marshall (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
7. Protestant History and Identity in Sixteenth‐Century Europe, 2 vols., ed. (Scolar Press,
http://divinity.yale.edu/gordon
bruce.gordon@yale.edu
Denomination: Presbyterian
A native of Canada, Bruce Gordon taught from 1994 to 2008 at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St Andrews Reformation Studies Institute. His research focuses on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation in German-speaking lands. He is the author of Calvin (Yale University Press, 2009), a biography that seeks to put the life of the influential reformer in the context of the sixteenth-century world. It is a study of Calvin’s character, his extensive network of personal contacts and of the complexities of church reform and theological exchange in the Reformation. The Swiss Reformation (Manchester University Press, 2002) (an “Outstanding Publication” for 2003 by Choice Magazine) studies the emergence of the Reformation n the multi-lingual world of the Swiss Confederation and its influence across Europe in the sixteenth century. His book Clerical Reformation and the Rural Reformation (1992) examined the creation of the first Protestant ministry, which took place in the Swiss city of Zurich and its numerous country parishes. In addition, he has edited books on the development of Protestant historical writing, the relationships between the dead and the living in late-medieval and early modern society, the Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger, and, most recently, on biblical culture in the sixteenth century. He was the principal investigator of a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom on Protestant Latin Bibles of the Sixteenth Century. The project explores the new translations of the Old and New Testaments by Protestant scholars into Latin during the Reformation and the questions posed by these extraordinary works for our understanding of translation, authority, material culture, confessional identity and theological formulation. The monograph is currently being completed. He has started work for Princeton University Press on a study of the reception of Calvin’s Institutes from the Reformation to the modern world. His teaching includes a lecture course on Western Christianity from the early church to the scientific revolution, and seminars on the culture of death, sources and methods of religious history, the Reformation, Calvinism, and the Reformed tradition from Zwingli to postmodernism. He teaches in the Department of History and in Renaissance Studies and works with graduate students on a wide range of topics in early modern religious history. He is on the board of various publishing series: St Andrews Studies in Reformation History (Ashgate), Zürcher Beiträge zur Reformationsgeschichte (Theologischer Verlag Zürich), and Refo500 Academic Studies (Vandenhoeck &Ruprecht). He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and in 2012 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. (Presbyterian)
Read a feature article about Professor Gordon.
Education
B.A. (Hons) King’s College
M.A. Dalhousie University
Ph.D University of St. Andrews
Books
1. Shaping the Bible in the Reformation. Books, Scholars and Their Readers in the Sixteenth Century, ed with Matthew McLean (Brill, 2012).
2. Calvin. 1509‐1564 (Yale University Press, 2009)
3. Architect of Reformation. An Introduction to Heinrich Bullinger, 1504‐1575, co-ed. (Baker Academic, 2004)
4. Translation and Edition of Hans R. Guggisberg, Sebastian Castellio. Defender of Religious Toleration (Ashgate Press, 2003)
5. The Swiss Reformation (Manchester University Press, 2002)
6. The Place of the Dead in Late Mediaeval and Early Modern Europe, ed. with Peter Marshall (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
7. Protestant History and Identity in Sixteenth‐Century Europe, 2 vols., ed. (Scolar Press,
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 14, 2024
Of the three most prominent reformers, Zwingli is the one we hear the least about. We know he disagreed with Luther about the Lord’s Supper, but beyond that . . . His life story is not as well known as Luther’s and his theology is not as well known as Calvin’s. That is one reason I’m so grateful for this highly readable and compelling biography of Zwingli. Gordon gives us Zwingli in full and our understanding not only of Zwingli himself but of the Reformation as a whole is better for it.
January 16, 2024
I read this in preparation to teach on Zwingli at our church in Brazil.
Fair and thorough. Gordon is an expert on the Swiss Reformation, but he stumbles here and there when talking about theology. He presents Zwingli as sincere, zealous, brilliant, and flawed.
Fair and thorough. Gordon is an expert on the Swiss Reformation, but he stumbles here and there when talking about theology. He presents Zwingli as sincere, zealous, brilliant, and flawed.
April 8, 2024
Great stuff. Very readable and informative biography on one of the lesser known reformers. It's remarkable that Zwingli came to his reforming convictions by basically just teaching through books of the Bible. Zwingli is a great example to anyone who teaches the Bible to trust in the power of God's word. It's a shame his life was prematurely cut short in such a political and military mess of largely his own making.
July 5, 2024
A master-class in biography and an exemplary model of exercising empathy for the dead. Essential reading for understanding the dynamics of the history of the Reformation as propelled by personalities and provincial politics.
April 18, 2024
Bruce Gordon does a masterful job of telling the life of this often forgotten Reformer in an engaging style. Certainly not hagiography. His final chapter on the various interpretations and portraits of Zwingli is particularly helpful.
It should be noted that Gordon does claim a few things without citation, interprets events, and misrepresents Zwingli's doctrine on occasion. This book is more valuable as a retelling of Zwingli's life than as a presentation of his thought.
It should be noted that Gordon does claim a few things without citation, interprets events, and misrepresents Zwingli's doctrine on occasion. This book is more valuable as a retelling of Zwingli's life than as a presentation of his thought.
January 23, 2022
The European Reformation is dominated by two contrasting geniuses - the Saxon Luther and the French Calvin. Relegated to third place, known mostly for his death in battle and his uncompromising view of the Eucharist is Huldrich Zwingli - a man condemned forever to be alphabetically last in any biographical dictionary. Having written an excellent biography of Calvin ten years ago, Gordon now turns to his Swiss predecessor, who I suspect is barely known outside of Reformation studies.
Zwingli does not have the voluminous writings of the other two Reformers and his life doesn't have the adventure of Luther's. This biography is therefore necessarily slim, and no worse for it. The man that emerges epitomises the contradiction that is at the heart of the Reformation. Zwingli was a man deeply influenced by Erasmus and greatly in love with the Greek and Roman authors, yet he countenanced the most violent of assaults on church art and iconography. He was a talented musician, even derided by his critics for it, and yet prohibited music in church. He hated war, and yet died in battle. He is seen by some as the forerunner of a liberal and tolerant Christianity and yet condemned anabaptists to be drowned. As Gordon makes clear, Zwingli is not a man of our times and attempts to draw out contemporary relevance (as with almost all sixteenth century figures) only leads to distortion.
The one man who does come out well from this biography is Johannes Oecolampadius - definitely up their with the Reformation celebrities, but one who (along with Philip Melanchthon) genuinely comes across as someone who displays some Christlike virtues that were so tragically absent from the age.
Zwingli does not have the voluminous writings of the other two Reformers and his life doesn't have the adventure of Luther's. This biography is therefore necessarily slim, and no worse for it. The man that emerges epitomises the contradiction that is at the heart of the Reformation. Zwingli was a man deeply influenced by Erasmus and greatly in love with the Greek and Roman authors, yet he countenanced the most violent of assaults on church art and iconography. He was a talented musician, even derided by his critics for it, and yet prohibited music in church. He hated war, and yet died in battle. He is seen by some as the forerunner of a liberal and tolerant Christianity and yet condemned anabaptists to be drowned. As Gordon makes clear, Zwingli is not a man of our times and attempts to draw out contemporary relevance (as with almost all sixteenth century figures) only leads to distortion.
The one man who does come out well from this biography is Johannes Oecolampadius - definitely up their with the Reformation celebrities, but one who (along with Philip Melanchthon) genuinely comes across as someone who displays some Christlike virtues that were so tragically absent from the age.
July 31, 2024
“[Zwingli] died in an unnecessary battle that he had advocated out of that deep faith, pushing an impossible situation to a disastrous conclusion, in the belief that God would prevail. What he could never accept was that God might have viewed matters differently.”
Bruce Gordon’s biography on the controversial Swiss Reformer from Zurich is detailed, rich, and incredibly well done. Gordon does a fantastic job of painting a portrait of—as he himself states—an embattled prophet, whose convictions on the preaching of the Gospel, the providence of God, the nature of the sacraments, and political involvement cannot easily be simplified into a bite-sized nuggets of information. In many ways, I was both inspired and disturbed by Zwingli’s thoughts and actions, but that also speaks to the kind of man Zwingli was. Is there any doubt that God used Zwingli to accomplish His purposes in the Reformation? Not at all. Is Zwingli a hero of the Protestant faith? That is harder to say. In short, Gordon does a phenomenal job in recounting the life of Zurich’s passionate prophet. As a historian, his book is incredibly well-researched and his writing style is typically engaging. One critique however is that there were moments where I found his writing style overly academic and I felt like reading this book was a chore. That is the nature of ordinary history, though, and I would say that’s likely more of a me issue than an actual issue with Gordon’s writing style. Gordon, unlike Metaxas, isn’t a reporter: he’s a historian. Another critique for me is that I wish Gordon spent more time comparing the theological reasons behind Zwingli and Luther’s dispute at Marburg, but that’s probably best reserved for a different kind of book than the one Gordon set out to write.
Overall, I highly recommend this biography. Gordon is a fantastic historian and Zwingli is a man who, despite his controversial nature, deserves more attention.
Bruce Gordon’s biography on the controversial Swiss Reformer from Zurich is detailed, rich, and incredibly well done. Gordon does a fantastic job of painting a portrait of—as he himself states—an embattled prophet, whose convictions on the preaching of the Gospel, the providence of God, the nature of the sacraments, and political involvement cannot easily be simplified into a bite-sized nuggets of information. In many ways, I was both inspired and disturbed by Zwingli’s thoughts and actions, but that also speaks to the kind of man Zwingli was. Is there any doubt that God used Zwingli to accomplish His purposes in the Reformation? Not at all. Is Zwingli a hero of the Protestant faith? That is harder to say. In short, Gordon does a phenomenal job in recounting the life of Zurich’s passionate prophet. As a historian, his book is incredibly well-researched and his writing style is typically engaging. One critique however is that there were moments where I found his writing style overly academic and I felt like reading this book was a chore. That is the nature of ordinary history, though, and I would say that’s likely more of a me issue than an actual issue with Gordon’s writing style. Gordon, unlike Metaxas, isn’t a reporter: he’s a historian. Another critique for me is that I wish Gordon spent more time comparing the theological reasons behind Zwingli and Luther’s dispute at Marburg, but that’s probably best reserved for a different kind of book than the one Gordon set out to write.
Overall, I highly recommend this biography. Gordon is a fantastic historian and Zwingli is a man who, despite his controversial nature, deserves more attention.
November 25, 2024
This excellent biography compresses the turbulent life of Swiss reformer Huldrych Zwingli into just a little over 300 pages, including notes, a select bibliography, and an index. Gordon doesn’t shy away from the controversial aspects of Zwingli’s legacy, such as his complicity in the intolerant treatment of the “brothers,” known to history as the Anabaptists, or his incitement to the use of military force to spread the gospel throughout Switzerland. At the same time, Zwingli’s positive traits, such as his learning and devotion to the poor, are clearly drawn out. The book is scholarly yet accessible; I imagine Bruce Gordon is a gifted teacher.
Gordon writes of the years covered in the middle third of the book, “Zwingli experienced the period from 1525 until the first war in 1529 not as the linear story that the historian seeks out, but as a series of interlocking and coterminous events and developments that he could neither dictate nor control.” This is reflected in the repetition that creeps in as Gordon strives to keep the narrative clear.
The critical topic of the relation of Zwingli and Luther is well-handled. Gordon argues that Zwingli was not an acolyte of Luther, as his conversion experience in Einsiedeln before Luther had published makes clear. Yet he admired and was influenced by the Saxon reformer. All the more lamentable that their only personal meeting is remembered not for their many points of agreement but for their failure to agree on the Lord’s Supper.
One insight I gleaned that was new to me was that the opposition of the “five states” from inner Switzerland was not only because of their devotion to the “old faith,” as it was called. Zwingli’s adamant opposition to mercenary service threatened a key revenue source and opportunity for advancement for these relatively poorer areas, making its inhabitants unfavorably disposed to Zwingli before they even heard his teachings about the Christian faith.
The book closes not with Zwingli’s death in battle but continues with two valuable chapters. One outlines the various ways Zwingli has been depicted in the intervening centuries; the other reflects the ambivalent way he is viewed today in Zurich, the city he revolutionized in the twelve years he was its leading pastor.
Gordon writes of the years covered in the middle third of the book, “Zwingli experienced the period from 1525 until the first war in 1529 not as the linear story that the historian seeks out, but as a series of interlocking and coterminous events and developments that he could neither dictate nor control.” This is reflected in the repetition that creeps in as Gordon strives to keep the narrative clear.
The critical topic of the relation of Zwingli and Luther is well-handled. Gordon argues that Zwingli was not an acolyte of Luther, as his conversion experience in Einsiedeln before Luther had published makes clear. Yet he admired and was influenced by the Saxon reformer. All the more lamentable that their only personal meeting is remembered not for their many points of agreement but for their failure to agree on the Lord’s Supper.
One insight I gleaned that was new to me was that the opposition of the “five states” from inner Switzerland was not only because of their devotion to the “old faith,” as it was called. Zwingli’s adamant opposition to mercenary service threatened a key revenue source and opportunity for advancement for these relatively poorer areas, making its inhabitants unfavorably disposed to Zwingli before they even heard his teachings about the Christian faith.
The book closes not with Zwingli’s death in battle but continues with two valuable chapters. One outlines the various ways Zwingli has been depicted in the intervening centuries; the other reflects the ambivalent way he is viewed today in Zurich, the city he revolutionized in the twelve years he was its leading pastor.
March 4, 2025
I found this enjoyable and enlightening in a number of ways. Gordon challenges a number of common perceptions of Zwingli by walking right into the thick of his complexities. Zwingli, by Gordon's account, was and was not as different from Calvin or Luther on the Supper at times. It seems, Zwingli, like everyone else, changed his perspectives on various theological topics over time. I learned that Zwingli had a checkered past of immorality, which I didn't know. Gordon has a helpful section at the end that traces key perspectives of Zwingli since his death that shows the penchant that every generation has for anachronism.
April 11, 2025
Superb biography of a complicated man - academic yet readable.
“Indisputably, the Wittenberger has remained the pre-eminent figure in the triumphal narrative of Protestantism’s victory over a corrupt medieval Church. Zwingli was at best Batman’s Robin. At worst, the Joker.” (164)
“Zwingli was a visionary of what became Reformed Christianity. The pursuit of the godly community came from his pulpit and pen, but not evenly. … He was not a systematician: he wrote for particular moments. He was neither hero nor martyr. We must see him for what he was - an embattled prophet.” (302)
“Indisputably, the Wittenberger has remained the pre-eminent figure in the triumphal narrative of Protestantism’s victory over a corrupt medieval Church. Zwingli was at best Batman’s Robin. At worst, the Joker.” (164)
“Zwingli was a visionary of what became Reformed Christianity. The pursuit of the godly community came from his pulpit and pen, but not evenly. … He was not a systematician: he wrote for particular moments. He was neither hero nor martyr. We must see him for what he was - an embattled prophet.” (302)
January 1, 2023
A very good informative read about a reformer often overlooked in church history. The biography is thoughtful and seeks not to praise or condemn its subject but give a thorough and scholarly evaluation. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reformed theology, Church History, or the history of the Reformation.
May 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this biography. The author gives a clear-eyed and honest portrayal of the Swiss reformer. I appreciated Gordon’s research into his correspondence.
December 13, 2025
Read this for an assignment for college. A very interesting and detailed read. Expanded my view of Zwingli, and gave me a greater understanding of the importance of his role in Zurich, and the impact of that more broadly in Europe. The use of a variety of sources, from sermons, to letters, to legal documents, provides a very good view of Zwingli, his impact, and his engagement with and use of magisterial authorities. Particularly helpful is Gordon’s assessment of Zwingli’s ‘Commentary on True and False Religion.’ It provides a useful inside into Zwingli that takes the book beyond simply being a recount of his days, but rather an attempt to delve into the mind of Zwingli in a sense. A worthwhile read for understanding a perhaps lesser acknowledge and lesser known reformer, who no doubt had a much greater impact than he is often credited with.
June 22, 2022
Well, it has been a while since we've had a biography of Zwingli by a top scholar doing original research. I was surprised some years ago to find that Potter's 1976 biography was the most recent. Bruce Gordon has produced a somewhat shorter and less detailed update. It is about time, because Zwingli needs more admirers.
The argument is in the subtitle: God's Armed Prophet, or as he puts it in his conclusions, the embattled prophet. Gordon finds Zwingli an ambivalent figure. How was Zwingli ambivalent? Well, Gordon is less discrete about pastor Zwingli's sexual promiscuity than others have been. Then there is the known topic of his opposition to Swiss mercenaries; Gordon finds Zwingli's opposition to this somewhat at odds to his final military belligerence and early demise. Also, Zwingli's confidence in the power of the Word to persuade along with his approval of coercion against Anabaptists are contrasted in this biography. Gordon makes a point of demonstrating how tenuous Zwingli's position in Zurich was near the end of his life, describing the chaos ensuing in Zurich in the aftermath of the second Kappel war. Gordon can also point to the ambiguous and weak legacy Zwingli has left down through the years: unlike Luther or Calvin.
What Gordon does well is to capture how uncertain in the first generation the outcome of the Reformation was. This was because the aims were somewhat uncertain as these men figured out where things were going and what they really believed and why. It took a lot of confidence, a lot of sinning boldly--as Luther urged Melanchthon from the Wartburg--and Gordon's Zwingli certainly did, and a lot of reacting to the situation. Zwingli was supported by study and conviction, by humanism--though like most reformers he moved away from Erasmus, but his direction was contingent on all kinds of circumstances and choices. Outcomes depended on town councils with agendas, with prejudices and unanticipated sentiments, on debates determined by factors other than merely compelling arguments, on questions of military possibilities. I had no idea Berne loomed as large over Zwingli as it did over Calvin later. (I want a book on the Reformation from the viewpoint of the city of Berne, now.) Gordon describes the tenuousness of the moment and opens up the challenges facing the Reformers. I think he corrects the record on Zwingli and music--that Zwingli was not as decidedly against it, but never really got around to it, and so the result is more . . . ambivalent (!) than we have thought. I also think Gordon indicates his own ambivalence toward the Reformation, which is why he takes up Zwingli--he hints at this in his last paragraph of the book. Though it may be Gordon is too good of a historian to intrude personal approval or disapproval into his own narrative.
It is a good biography. I would not be surprised if Gordon were to do Oecolampadius next. He admires him perhaps more than Zwingli and seems to have a whole lot of research already in hand for it. Perhaps he'll help us out with Bullinger instead. I would welcome either. I wish his Zwingli had more of the feel of the town, more of the landscape in which the portrait is drawn, more of the personal expressions and epistolary reactions of Zwingli and his contemporaries. I guess I do wish for a biography from someone who admired Zwingli a little more. Still, I'm glad for what he has given us: a bit more of Zwingli and his moment.
The argument is in the subtitle: God's Armed Prophet, or as he puts it in his conclusions, the embattled prophet. Gordon finds Zwingli an ambivalent figure. How was Zwingli ambivalent? Well, Gordon is less discrete about pastor Zwingli's sexual promiscuity than others have been. Then there is the known topic of his opposition to Swiss mercenaries; Gordon finds Zwingli's opposition to this somewhat at odds to his final military belligerence and early demise. Also, Zwingli's confidence in the power of the Word to persuade along with his approval of coercion against Anabaptists are contrasted in this biography. Gordon makes a point of demonstrating how tenuous Zwingli's position in Zurich was near the end of his life, describing the chaos ensuing in Zurich in the aftermath of the second Kappel war. Gordon can also point to the ambiguous and weak legacy Zwingli has left down through the years: unlike Luther or Calvin.
What Gordon does well is to capture how uncertain in the first generation the outcome of the Reformation was. This was because the aims were somewhat uncertain as these men figured out where things were going and what they really believed and why. It took a lot of confidence, a lot of sinning boldly--as Luther urged Melanchthon from the Wartburg--and Gordon's Zwingli certainly did, and a lot of reacting to the situation. Zwingli was supported by study and conviction, by humanism--though like most reformers he moved away from Erasmus, but his direction was contingent on all kinds of circumstances and choices. Outcomes depended on town councils with agendas, with prejudices and unanticipated sentiments, on debates determined by factors other than merely compelling arguments, on questions of military possibilities. I had no idea Berne loomed as large over Zwingli as it did over Calvin later. (I want a book on the Reformation from the viewpoint of the city of Berne, now.) Gordon describes the tenuousness of the moment and opens up the challenges facing the Reformers. I think he corrects the record on Zwingli and music--that Zwingli was not as decidedly against it, but never really got around to it, and so the result is more . . . ambivalent (!) than we have thought. I also think Gordon indicates his own ambivalence toward the Reformation, which is why he takes up Zwingli--he hints at this in his last paragraph of the book. Though it may be Gordon is too good of a historian to intrude personal approval or disapproval into his own narrative.
It is a good biography. I would not be surprised if Gordon were to do Oecolampadius next. He admires him perhaps more than Zwingli and seems to have a whole lot of research already in hand for it. Perhaps he'll help us out with Bullinger instead. I would welcome either. I wish his Zwingli had more of the feel of the town, more of the landscape in which the portrait is drawn, more of the personal expressions and epistolary reactions of Zwingli and his contemporaries. I guess I do wish for a biography from someone who admired Zwingli a little more. Still, I'm glad for what he has given us: a bit more of Zwingli and his moment.
April 12, 2024
A solid, if at times repetitive biography of Zwingli. The author paints Zwingli as a complex character, focusing at first on his theology and preaching, and later his entry into the world of political intrigue in the city of Zurich, where his reformation ideas took hold at first. There were many things to like about Zwingli, and many things to take issue with, and the author seems to do a good job holding these things in tension. I especially appreciated the last two chapters in which his legacy is discussed, especially about those who despise and want to bury Zwingli's memory. A basic understanding of Christian history (especially the conflict between Catholics, Lutherans, Reformers, and Anabaptists) in the early 16th century is vital, but the author does a reasonable job keeping it straightened out (if at times he repeats details).
April 13, 2023
Bruce Gordon presents a Zwingli who was a picture of great contribution and of great conflict. The author has done his research and one wanting to study the reformer does well to benefit from his research.
It does seem as if Gordon's pen is too often guided by his own modern sensibilities than his subject's historical setting. That is not to say that the historical is lacking.
I am grateful for the work and am glad to have read it.
It does seem as if Gordon's pen is too often guided by his own modern sensibilities than his subject's historical setting. That is not to say that the historical is lacking.
I am grateful for the work and am glad to have read it.
August 25, 2024
I'm glad I picked up this biography from my husband's nightstand so I could learn about this little-known reformer. I was amazed to see how many major doctrinal constructs trace back to him, and really enjoyed piecing together the development of early reformed thought.
December 3, 2024
“His most intimate expressions of faith and hope came in poetry and music”
October 10, 2025
Dit boek is een biografie van de Zwitserse reformator Huldrych Zwingli. Elk hoofdstuk volgt een periode uit zijn leven. De laatste twee hoofdstukken gaan over het gevecht rond zijn nalatenschap en over literatuur die er over hem geschreven is.
Gordon schetst een controversiële figuur, die niet alleen door katholieken, maar ook door Luther en veel andere protestanten werd gehaat. De scheidslijn tussen verschillende protestantse groeperingen was in die tijd nog niet zo duidelijk, eerder was er sprake van een (diffuus) spectrum.
Een andere betooglijn van Gordon is dat Zwingli niet als voorloper van Calvijn gezien moet worden. Zijn invloed op de ontwikkeling van het gereformeerd protestantisme is even groot als die van Calvijn. Gordon laat zien dat deze mindere waardering samenhangt met Zwingli's controversiële erfenis.
Ook zet Gordon Zwingli in een transnationale context. Hij besteedt veel aandacht aan de pogingen om tot één protestantse alliantie binnen het Heilige Roomse Rijk te komen. Daarbij komen correspondenties met onder andere Filips von Hessen langs. Ook Frankrijk en de paus komen aan de orde.
Ik vond het ook opvallend dat Zwingli met een beroep op Gods soevereiniteit ruimte liet voor het zalig worden van ongelovigen. Dat deze gedachtegang onder de bekende reformatoren bestond, was mij onbekend.
Gordon schetst zo een genuanceerd beeld van een complexe en polemische persoonlijkheid.
Gordon schetst een controversiële figuur, die niet alleen door katholieken, maar ook door Luther en veel andere protestanten werd gehaat. De scheidslijn tussen verschillende protestantse groeperingen was in die tijd nog niet zo duidelijk, eerder was er sprake van een (diffuus) spectrum.
Een andere betooglijn van Gordon is dat Zwingli niet als voorloper van Calvijn gezien moet worden. Zijn invloed op de ontwikkeling van het gereformeerd protestantisme is even groot als die van Calvijn. Gordon laat zien dat deze mindere waardering samenhangt met Zwingli's controversiële erfenis.
Ook zet Gordon Zwingli in een transnationale context. Hij besteedt veel aandacht aan de pogingen om tot één protestantse alliantie binnen het Heilige Roomse Rijk te komen. Daarbij komen correspondenties met onder andere Filips von Hessen langs. Ook Frankrijk en de paus komen aan de orde.
Ik vond het ook opvallend dat Zwingli met een beroep op Gods soevereiniteit ruimte liet voor het zalig worden van ongelovigen. Dat deze gedachtegang onder de bekende reformatoren bestond, was mij onbekend.
Gordon schetst zo een genuanceerd beeld van een complexe en polemische persoonlijkheid.
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