Mister Richardson’s
Church History Class
Chapter 24: The Reformation in Switzerland
A. Ulrich Zwingli
1. Ulrich Zwingli was born on January 1, 1484 in Wildhaus, Switzerland.
2. He received his M.A. in 1506 and became a priest.
3. He became pastor of the church in Zürich in 1519.
4. Zwingli was a very enthusiastic student of the Greek New Testament.
5. He came to reject much of Roman Catholic teaching through his study of Scripture around the same time as Luther.
6. However, Zwingli and Luther never could agree on their belief about the Lord's Supper.
7. Zwingli died in battle in 1531.
B. John Calvin
1. Calvin was born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France.
2. He was appointed as a chaplain when only eleven years of age.
3. Calvin came to faith in Christ in his early twenties and began to teach and preach the gospel.
4. He became good friends with Nicolas Cop and Theodore Beza.
5. Calvin published the Institutes of the Christian Religion, a book explaining Reformation beliefs, in 1536, at age 26.
6. On his way through Geneva in 1536, William Farel
persuaded Calvin to stay and become the pastor of the church there.
7. With the exception of three years, Calvin spent the rest of his life in Geneva.
8. Calvin wrote commentaries on almost every book of the Bible, which are still used widely today.
9. John Calvin died on May 27, 1564.
C. Calvin’s Controversies
1. Calvin was exiled from Geneva for a short time, but was invited back after his Reply to Sadoleto impressed the Genevans.
2. Calvin has also been blamed for his part in the execution of Michael Servetus, who was condemned for heresy.
3. Calvin's theology has also attracted controversy because of his emphasis on predestination and unconditional election.
4. This is sometimes called Calvinism, which can be summed up in what is called the Five Points of Calvinism
(total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints).