A Companion to the Swiss Reformation describes the course of the Protestant Reformation in the Swiss Confederation over the course of the sixteenth century. Its essays examine the successes as well as the failures of the reformation movement, considering not only the institutional churches but also the spread of Anabaptism. The volume highlights the different form that the Reformation took among the members of the Confederation and its allied territories, and it describes the political, social and cultural consequences of the Reformation for the Confederation as a whole. Contributors are: Irena Backus, Jan-Andrea Bernhard, Amy Nelson Burnett, Michael W. Bruening, Erich Bryner, Emidio Campi, Bruce Gordon, Kaspar von Greyerz, Sundar Henny, Karin Maag, Thomas Maissen, Regula Schmid-Keeling, Martin Sallmann, and Andrea Strübind.

A description of the course of the Protestant Reformation in the city of Geneva from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

In this comprehensive study of the Swiss Reformation, Gordon examines the event in the context of the history of the Swiss Federation. The Reformation is presented as a narrative of events followed by an examination of various key themes surrounding the event.

In sixteenth-century Switzerland, Zwingli sought to reform the church according to the pure precepts of the Word of God. Yet in those violent times, even a spiritual reformation could encounter very earthly opposition. Plots and counterplots, rioting mobs, and the threat of the executioner's sword confronted the reformer of Zurich and his supporters. The Reformation did not advance without the shedding of blood. Through it all, Zwingli sought to be a faithful shepherd to his flock, knowing that his loyalty must ultimately lie not with kings or princes but with "that great shepherd of the sheep," the Lord Jesus Christ. - Back cover.

This volume brings together 29 new essays by leading international scholars, to provide an inclusive overview of recent work in Reformation history. Presents Catholic Renewal as a continuum of the Protestant Reformation. Examines Reformation in Eastern and Western Europe, Asia and the Americas. Takes a broad, inclusive approach – covering both traditional topics and cutting-edge areas of debate.

Heinrich Bullinger, the friend and successor of Huldrych Zwingli, led the Zurich church for almost fifty years after Zwingli's death and was largely responsible for the construction of the Reformed church in the sixteenth century. Nevertheless, Bullinger has often been called the forgotten Reformer of the sixteenth century. Architect of Reformation is the first broad introduction to Bullinger's life and theology available in English. The book features an international collection of the world's leading Bullinger and Reformation scholars addressing such categories as theology, spirituality, ecclesiology, humanism, politics, and family. At the five-hundred-year anniversary of Bullinger's birth, Architect of Reformation gives the often-overlooked Swiss Reformer his long-overdue and much-deserved recognition as a leading figure among second generation Reformers.

*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts *Includes a bibliography for further reading "The Christian life, then, is a battle, so sharp and full of danger that effort can nowhere be relaxed without loss. I beseech Christ for this one thing only, that He will enable me to endure all things courageously, and that He break me as a potter's vessel or make me strong, as it pleases Him." - Ulrich Zwingli On March 9, 1522, the first Sunday of Lent, Catholics across Europe ushered in a 40-day period of solemn penitence, self-imposed moderation, and spiritual discipline by marking crosses onto their foreheads with ash-coated fingers. They dutifully adhered to the Lenten laws, immersing themselves in prayer, modulating their consumption of booze, and avoiding meat in preparation for the death and resurrection of Christ. Meanwhile, a band of about a dozen rebellious Christians gathered in a printer's workshop in Grabengasse, Zurich, fully resolved to march to the beat of their own drum. These renegades were intent on broadcasting a message to the corrupt and increasingly dishonorable Catholic Church. The group included: Christoph Froschauer, the proprietor of the printing shop; Hans Oggenfuss, a tailor by trade; Niklaus Hottinger, a shoemaker; Laurenz Hochrutiner, a weaver; and Heinrich Aberli, a baker. All of them had garnered reputations as wayward pro-reform activists campaigning for a return to the old ways of the Scripture and the eradication of faulty interpretations of God's word. Aberli opted to get a start on the protest on Ash Wednesday, just four days prior, by eating a homemade roast in front of a stunned audience at the bakers' guild house. Along with these rebels were two priests: Leo Juda from Alsace and 38-year-old Ulrich Zwingli. While the dissenters had long been planning a dramatic demonstration of sorts to capture the attention of the Church, their resistance on March 9 was a spontaneous act supposedly prompted by Zwingli himself. According to the legend, Zwingli had stopped by two days earlier to order a stack of copies of his sermons regarding the St. Paul epistles, and under instructions to rush the order, Froschauer and his staff worked overtime to churn out the copies. They completed the project in a timely manner, and in the process, Froschauer invited his staff, along with Zwingli, Juda, and the aforementioned rebels (whom he knew from church) to the front of his workshop, where he had cleared out a table for a small feast. Zwingli was thrilled by Froschauer's idea - breaking the fast was a non-violent yet powerful act of disobedience. As the group hoped, their protest against fasting swiftly caught the attention of the townspeople, inciting acclamation and derision. Even the Bishop of Constance caught wind of the uproar, and he subsequently organized a committee to investigate the issue. It was at the meeting called upon by the bishop's envoys that Zwingli officially appointed himself mastermind and spokesperson for the cause. This fateful event, now remembered as the "Affair of the Sausages," supposedly triggered the Swiss Reformation, leading to a purge that would soon be enforced in Zurich. As fascinating as this pivotal event was, it was merely one episode in Zwingli's colorful and consequential life, and in the years that followed, Zwingli and the Swiss reformers embarked on a campaign to rid Zurich of all objects and new-age creeds spawned by mankind. Zwingli's life was packed with portentous events, alarming twists and turns, and an unexpected ending, and through it all, he would have a profound impact on Christianity. Ulrich Zwingli: The Life and Legacy of the Swiss Reformer Who Fought the Catholic Church during the Reformation chronicles the reformer's life and teachings, and the influence he had on religion. Along with pictures of important people and places, you will learn about Zwingli like never before.