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Selected works of Huldreich Zwingli (1484-1531), the reformer of German Switzerland
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
- GenresPhilosophy
280 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1972
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About the author
Huldrych Zwingli
90 books18 followersHuldrych (or Ulrich/Ulricht) Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531) was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system, he attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, a scholarly centre of humanism. He continued his studies while he served as a pastor in Glarus and later in Einsiedeln, where he was influenced by the writings of Erasmus.
In 1518, Zwingli became the pastor of the Grossmünster in Zurich where he began to preach ideas on reforming the Catholic Church. In his first public controversy in 1522, he attacked the custom of fasting during Lent. In his publications, he noted corruption in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, promoted clerical marriage, and attacked the use of images in places of worship. In 1525, Zwingli introduced a new communion liturgy to replace the mass. Zwingli also clashed with the Anabaptists, which resulted in their persecution.
The Reformation spread to other parts of the Swiss Confederation, but several cantons resisted, preferring to remain Catholic. Zwingli formed an alliance of Reformed cantons which divided the Confederation along religious lines. In 1529, a war between the two sides was averted at the last moment. Meanwhile, Zwingli’s ideas came to the attention of Martin Luther and other reformers. They met at the Marburg Colloquy and although they agreed on many points of doctrine, they could not reach an accord on the doctrine of the presence of Christ in the eucharist. In 1531 Zwingli’s alliance applied an unsuccessful food blockade on the Catholic cantons. The cantons responded with an attack at a moment when Zurich was badly prepared. Zwingli was killed in battle at the age of 47. His legacy lives on in the confessions, liturgy, and church orders of the Reformed churches of today.
In 1518, Zwingli became the pastor of the Grossmünster in Zurich where he began to preach ideas on reforming the Catholic Church. In his first public controversy in 1522, he attacked the custom of fasting during Lent. In his publications, he noted corruption in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, promoted clerical marriage, and attacked the use of images in places of worship. In 1525, Zwingli introduced a new communion liturgy to replace the mass. Zwingli also clashed with the Anabaptists, which resulted in their persecution.
The Reformation spread to other parts of the Swiss Confederation, but several cantons resisted, preferring to remain Catholic. Zwingli formed an alliance of Reformed cantons which divided the Confederation along religious lines. In 1529, a war between the two sides was averted at the last moment. Meanwhile, Zwingli’s ideas came to the attention of Martin Luther and other reformers. They met at the Marburg Colloquy and although they agreed on many points of doctrine, they could not reach an accord on the doctrine of the presence of Christ in the eucharist. In 1531 Zwingli’s alliance applied an unsuccessful food blockade on the Catholic cantons. The cantons responded with an attack at a moment when Zurich was badly prepared. Zwingli was killed in battle at the age of 47. His legacy lives on in the confessions, liturgy, and church orders of the Reformed churches of today.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 28, 2013
This... wasn't as impressive as I had hoped it would be. (I suppose I was expecting Luther-quality writing, which is of course my mistake.)
As for the edition: this is one of the cheap Kessinger reprints, which means that someone scanned/photocopied it and gave it a cheap binding. While some of these reprints can be so poorly done that they're unreadable, this one was decent enough.
This edition contains the following works by Zwingli:
1) The Episcopal Delegation to Zurich (April, 1522)
2) The Petition of the Priests of Zurich to be allowed to Marry (July, 1522)
3) The First Zurich Disputation (January, 1523- Includes Zwingli's "67 Articles")
4) Zurich Marriage Ordinance (1525)
5) Refutation of the Tricks of the Catabaptists (1527)
Of these, the most interesting are 3) and 5), and only those a little bit (I suppose 2) and 4) hold some historical interest, but they're not particularly earth-shaking theology or prose).
The longest work in the book is the "Refutation", in which Zwingli takes on some of the major Anabaptist arguments, including Believer's Baptism and separation of church and state. And while I think Zwingli's arguments don't really hold up (which makes sense, given that I am a Baptist myself), at least this reading was useful as a presentation of Zwingli's political thought, views on covenant theology, and means of reading Scripture. The discussion of election was especially worthwhile, though again I disagree with the conclusions Zwingli draws concerning the baptism of infants.
Overall, this was kind of an underwhelming read, and might explain why so few of Zwingli's works are available today- you're better off sticking with Luther and Calvin.
As for the edition: this is one of the cheap Kessinger reprints, which means that someone scanned/photocopied it and gave it a cheap binding. While some of these reprints can be so poorly done that they're unreadable, this one was decent enough.
This edition contains the following works by Zwingli:
1) The Episcopal Delegation to Zurich (April, 1522)
2) The Petition of the Priests of Zurich to be allowed to Marry (July, 1522)
3) The First Zurich Disputation (January, 1523- Includes Zwingli's "67 Articles")
4) Zurich Marriage Ordinance (1525)
5) Refutation of the Tricks of the Catabaptists (1527)
Of these, the most interesting are 3) and 5), and only those a little bit (I suppose 2) and 4) hold some historical interest, but they're not particularly earth-shaking theology or prose).
The longest work in the book is the "Refutation", in which Zwingli takes on some of the major Anabaptist arguments, including Believer's Baptism and separation of church and state. And while I think Zwingli's arguments don't really hold up (which makes sense, given that I am a Baptist myself), at least this reading was useful as a presentation of Zwingli's political thought, views on covenant theology, and means of reading Scripture. The discussion of election was especially worthwhile, though again I disagree with the conclusions Zwingli draws concerning the baptism of infants.
Overall, this was kind of an underwhelming read, and might explain why so few of Zwingli's works are available today- you're better off sticking with Luther and Calvin.
Displaying 1 of 1 review