The Anabaptist Movement

Ulrich Zwingli & the Swiss ReformationGonzalez, Vol. II, Chapter 5Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531)Sometimes spelled Huldrych Zwingli

Zwinglis resumeBorn in January 1484, less than two months after the birth of Martin LutherIn his early years he studied in Basel and Bern, where the influence of humanism was strongUniversities of Vienna and Basel, receiving the Master of Arts degree in 1506He then became the priest of the village of Glarus, where he continued his studies in humanism and became proficient in GreekHis education made him exceptional as a priest; most Swiss priests were poorly educated, some who were barely literate in the New TestamentZwinglis service as chaplain to Swiss mercenariesIn 1512 and 1514, Zwingli went on Italian campaigns with mercenary soldiers from his districtThe first campaign was successful, but the second was a dismal failure; but both campaigns impressed on Zwingli the impact of war on the defeatedHis military service convinced him of the great evils of mercenary service, which he saw as destroying the moral fiber of Swiss societyAfter ten years as a priest in Glarus, he moved on to an abbey in Einsiedeln, where he became openly critical of pilgrimages, asserting that the New Testament did not support such practicesDuring his years in Glarus and Einsiedeln he perfected his competence in both Greek and HebrewZwingli in ZurichIn 1518, attracted by Zwinglis skill as a preacher, his humanist learning, his criticisms against mercenary service and his opposition to the French, the canons of Zurich elected Zwingli to become the Leutpriestertum(people's priest) of the Grossmnster of ZrichBy this time, Zwingli apparently had come to hold similar views to those of Luther, but derived independently of LutherWhereas Luther had reached his conclusions through personal anguish of the soul, Zwingli had reached his through the study of Scripture according to the methods of the humanistsZwingli also harbored a zealous outrage against superstitions that passed for Christianity, the exploitation of the laity by the hierarchy of the church, and mercenary serviceZwinglis rising popularityHe soon became a popular preacher and teacher in ZurichWhen a peddler of indulgences came to the city, Zwingli convinced the canons to expel himWhen the French king, Francis I, requested mercenary contingents from the Swiss Confederation in his war against Charles V, all of the cantons sent their soldiers except for ZurichWhen the pope (an alley of the French) insisted that Zurich had an obligation to protect the papacy, Zwingli turned his attention to the abuses of the papacyWord spread that Luthers movement had spread to Switzerland, but Zwingli always contended that he reached his conclusions independently of LutherThe Reformation of Zurich

The Affair of the SausagesZurich was under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the bishop of ConstanceIn 1522, the Bishop of Constance brought Zwingli up on charges for preaching against the laws of fasting and abstinence, and encouraging some of his parishioners to eat sausages during Lent the so-called Affair of the SausagesZwingli argued that Christians were free to fast or not to fast because the Bible does not prohibit the eating of meat during LentZwinglis argument won the day, which encouraged him to expand the scope of his attacks on traditional Christianity by declaring the clerical celibacy was not biblical, and by pointing out that those who defended celibacy did not live by itZwingli in disputationMeanwhile, Adrian VI had been elected pope, and was keen to reform the churchThe pope decided to appeal to Zwingli by tempting him with high position; hoping to harness him in the processThe city council then called for a debate between Zwingli and a representative of the local bishopZwingli expounded several theses and defended them on the basis of Scripture; when the bishops representative refused to respond to him, and appealed to a future general council that would settle these matters, the council decided that Zwingli was free to continue preachingThis decision marked Zurichs final break with the bishopric of Constance and, as a consequence, with RomeZwingli as ReformerWith the support of the City Council, Zwingli sought to restore biblical faith and practice to the churches of ZurichHis approach, however, was different from that of LutherLuther continued to permit traditional usages that did not contradict the BibleZwingli insisted that anything that lacked explicit warrant from scripture must be rejectedRapid changes began to take place throughout ZurichOrgans (and all instruments) were banned from worshipMany priests, monks and nuns were marriedCommunion in both kinds was offered to the laityGeneral public education, with no class distinction, became the normIconoclasm in Zurich (1524)

Reformation spreads throughout SwitzerlandIt was not long before Zwinglis ideas poured across the borders into other Swiss cantonsThe Swiss Confederation was not a centralized state, but rather a complex mosaic of different states, each with its own laws and governmentThey came together as a confederation because they shared a number of common goals, among them was maintaining their independence from the German empireHowever, some cantons quickly embraced Zwinglis agenda for reform, others just as strongly maintained their obedience to RomeReligious friction, exacerbated by Protestant proselytization, made civil war inevitable

Prelude to Civil WarThe Catholic cantons took steps to stem the tide of Protestantism by seeking an alliance with the much hated Charles VThis was seen as a treasonous act by the Protestant cantonsZwingli recommended military action against the Catholics, but the Protestant cantons were not ready to make a move; when Zurich decided it was time to go to war, the other cantons disagreedThe Protestant cantons decided against Zwinglis advice to take up economic sanctions against the Catholics, leaving the Catholic cantons no choice but the strike firstThe Battle of Kappel (1531)

The Battle of Kappel (1531)In October 1531, five Catholic cantons joined in a surprise attack on the city of Zurich; the defenders hardly had time to prepare for battleZwingli marched out with the first line of defenders, hoping to buy the city enough time to organize a defenceThe Catholic cantons defeated the army of Zurich, and Zwingli died in battleA month later, the Peace of Kappel was signed; the Protestants agreed to cover the expenses of the recent war; in return each canton would have the freedom to make its own choice in matters of religionThe movement of population from one canton to the next, seeking freedom for the practice of religion, soon made some cantons staunchly Protestant and others staunchly CatholicZwinglis TheologyWhile the source of Luthers theology was his own tormented soul which finally found solace in the biblical message, Zwinglis source was his humanist approach to the study of scripture, which encouraged him to go back to the sourcesThis in turn meant that Zwinglis regard for the power of reason was much more positive than that of LutherZwinglis view of original Christianity had been colored by the long historical influence of Neoplatonism (he was certainly not aware of this); one element of that was the tendency to undervalue the physical realm in contrast to the spiritual realmZwingli thus insisted on simple forms of worship forms that would not lead the believer to the material through excessive use of the senses; in contrast, Luther saw the material, not as an obstacle, but as an aid to the spiritualContrasting Sacramental ViewsLutherHeld that an inner divine action took place when the outer human action was performedMaterial elements and physical actions of the sacraments were means of graceZwingliRefused to grant any efficacy to the outward performance of the sacraments; this would limit the freedom of the SpiritMaterial elements of the sacraments were no more than signs of symbols of spiritual realityMarburg Colloquy (1529)The Protestant Landgrave Philip of Hesse attempted to bring together the German and Swiss Reformers to bring about an alliance between the two movementsAmong the reformers present were: Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon (Wittenberg), Martin Bucer (Strasbourg), Johannes Oecolampadius (Basel) and Ulrich Zwingli (Zurich)They agreed on most points, except on the question of the nature of Christs presence in the EucharistMelanchthon had warned Luther that a compromise with the Zwinglians on this point would further alienate Catholic Germans whom Luther and his companions still hoped to win for their causeWe are not of the same spirit (Luther at Marburg)

The Anabaptist MovementGonzalez, Vol. II, Chapter 6Luther & Zwingli

Difference of ApproachLutherSought to cleanse the church from what contradicted Scripture Whatever was not prohibited by Scripture was allowed if it served to edify the people and reinforce the faithZwingliSought to reconstruct the Church on a scriptural foundationWhatever was not explicitly warranted in Scripture was rejected outrightThe Radical Reformation: AnabaptismContended that Zwingli & Luther did not go far enough in their programs of reformA marked contrast between the church and society in the NTEarly Christians were persecuted by the stateConstantines conversion was a betrayal of primitive ChristianityThe Relationship between Church & SocietyThe Church should not be confused with societyOne belongs to society by the mere fact of birth; one cannot belong to the church without a personal decisionInfant baptism must be rejected, because it assumes that one becomes a Christian simply by being born into a supposedly Christian societyConflict with SocietyThe rejection of infant baptism essentially meant the rejection of Christian societyTrue Christians were not to support the state, even against invading infidels (Turks); later this would become full-blown pacifismSupreme New Testament ethic: Sermon on the Mount Zwingli & The AnabaptistsThe radical reformation first came to public attention in Zurich, early in Zwinglis program of reformCertain brethren had been urging Zwingli to undertake a more radical program of reform; nearly convinced him to reject infant baptismBreaking ranks with Zwingli, they finally took matters into their own handsConrad Grebel (1498-1526)

Conrad GrebelEmbraced Reformation ideal in 1522; early supporter of ZwingliDisputed with Zwingli over the abolishing the Mass in 1523After his dispute with Zwingli, Grebel and a group of 15 men began to meet for prayer and private Bible studyFinal break with Zwingli came in 1525 when Grebel and his companions failed to convince Zwingli on the issue of infant baptismThird Disputation of Zurich (January 17, 1525)Zwingli argued against Grebel, George Blaurock and Felix Manz on the issue of baptismThe city council decided in favor of Zwingli, ordered Grebels group to cease their activities, and ordered all unbaptized children to be baptized within eight days, else face exile from the cantonGrebel ignored the order to have his own infant daughter baptizedThe Fateful MeetingGrebel and his companions met together (illegally) in the home of Felix Manz on January 21, 1525At this meeting, George Blaurock asked Grebel to baptize him on confession of faith; Blaurock then proceeded to baptize the othersThey committed themselves to living apart from the world according to NT principlesThe AnabaptistsPersecution sweeps Europe

Why were the Anabaptists persecuted?In the eyes of the state, the Anabaptists were a threat to social orderThey refused to support the state (militarily)They implied that the structures of power should not be transferred to the church, nor should authority in spiritual matters be transferred to the stateIn contrastLutheranism depended on the support of the princes who embraced it, who in turn enjoyed great authority in matters both civil and ecclesiasticalIn Zwinglis Zurich, the Council of Government had the final word in religious mattersIn Catholic lands, the state enforced church teaching and practice

Anabaptist SocietyThe Church was a voluntary community, totally distinct from the civil communityRadically egalitarian in most groups, women had the same rights as men; the poor and ignorant were as important as the rich and learnedThe Course of PersecutionIn 1525, the Catholic areas of Switzerland began condemning Anabaptist to deathThe Zurich Council of Government followed suit in 1526No uniform policy in Germany; ancient laws against heretics applied to AnabaptistsIn 1528, Charles V ordered that they be put to death on the basis of ancient Roman laws against Donatists (who also re-baptized)The Course of PersecutionThe Diet of Speyer (1529) approved Charles imperial decree against the AnabaptistsThe only German prince to follow his conscience was Philip of HesseIn many areas, Anabaptists were accused of both heresy and sedition (ecclesiastical and criminal charges)The Radicalization of the Anabaptist MovementMost of the early Anabaptist leaders were scholars (in humanism); most were pacifistsMost of the early Anabaptists succumbed to martyrdomThe next generation became more radicalized; original pacifism was largely forgottenThomas Muntzer (1489-1525)

Melchoir Hoffman (1495-1543)

A Time Ripe for RevolutionMuntzers ideas of social justice for the peasants had unsettled central Europe (culminating in the Peasants Rebellion)Hoffmans preaching that Day of the Lord was at hand incited the multitudes to believe that Muntzers ideas were still within reachHoffmans ApocalypticismOriginally a follower of Luther, then of ZwingliMoved to Strasbourg in 1530; rebaptized in AprilFounded a community in Emden in 1532Returned to Strasbourg in 1533 after it was prophesied that he would be imprisoned for six monthsHoffmans ApocalypticismStudied Johns Apocalypse; believed that the New Jerusalem would be established in StrasbourgRejected pacifism because he believed that the children of God would have to take up arms against the children of darknessHis imprisonment fulfilled the first half of his prophecy; many flocked to his movementHoffmans Prediction FailsHoffman predicted that Christ would return in 1533; but Hoffman was still in prison on the day predicted for Christs returnThe movement relocated to the city of Muenster, where the balance of powers between Catholics and Protestants meant that the Anabaptists enjoyed a measure of toleranceMuenster Rebellion (1534-1535)

Siege of Muenster

Anabaptists take controlSoon Muenster was seen as the New JerusalemAnabaptists took control of the city in 1534, and established a theocracy under John Matthys, a Dutch baker, and his main disciple, John of LeidenCatholics were expelled from the city; the local bishop then gathered an army and besieged the cityJohn MatthysDied in a foolish sortie against Catholic forces besieging Muenster in April 1534

John of LeidenKing of Jerusalem

Bernhard Knipperdolling

Conditions deteriorateModerate Protestants eventually expelledSculptures, paintings destroyed; governed by literal interpretation of ScriptureFood increasingly scarceDaily claims of visions and revelationsLess and less males meant more and more femalesJohn of Leiden decreed the practice of polygamyFall of MuensterSome of the inhabitants of the city, tired of the excesses of the visionaries, finally opened the gates of the city to the bishop and his besieging armyJohn of Leiden and Knipperdolling were captured, humiliated, tortured and killedJohn of Leiden, Bernhard Knipperdolling & Bernhard Krechting

Their Torture & Execution

Steeple of St. Lamberts Church

The Later AnabaptistsFall of Muenster put an end to revolutionary Anabaptism; impetus for renewed persecutionNew leaders emphasized pacifismMenno Simons (1496-1561); catholic priest who embraced Anabaptism in 1536

Menno Simons (1496-1561)

Mennonite TeachingsPacifism was essential part of ChristianityNo swearing of oaths; nor occupying positions of authority in the stateObedience to the state unless in conflict with the teachings of ScriptureBaptism by pouring, only to adults who confess their faith publiclySacraments are outward signsPractice of footwashingMennonites considered subversiveWould not swear oaths or offer military serviceAs a result, they were scattered all over EuropeEventually spread to Russia, North America, and South America