Wednesday, November 20, 2024

*** This is a rough transcript of today’s show ***

It is the 20th of November 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Ok- a question jumped the queue- it came in Sunday, but I was answering the question for Megan about the Lord’s Supper in Hungary and this one from a long-time listener and local fan, Wade, in Mission Viejo.

Mission Viejo, Spanish for “the old Mission,” was destroyed, and the “new Mission” was constructed in San Juan Capistrano, also near the site of the legend of the Bull, from whence my town got its old name: El Toro. Follow me for more fascinating South Orange County History.

Wade wrote: Zwingli was mentioned in my Bible study this week, we were studying the second Helvetic confession. I asked the teacher if Zwingli was buddies with Luther. The sideways smile I got in return to my question and the response "not exactly" told me once again my grasp of history is poor…. [he goes on] Should we remember Zwingli as the first guy to preach from the Bible on Sunday (as opposed to reciting Mass) or as a militant fighting and dying for his cause  (which makes me very sad to hear that he died before his 50th birthday)?

Wade, you have come across, I think- the most misunderstood of all the “Magisterial” Reformers. What does that mean? “Magisterial” means they were working with the “Magistrates” or city leaders instead of those ore radicals who would attempt to create their own communes and towns.

We know Luther. And Calvin, the Frenchman who reformed Geneva and went a click beyond Luther in his reform. And if you’ve heard “Huldrych Zwingli,” you might think: “Swiss?” “Bad guy?” Or, more likely, your response is, “Who?” 

Zwingli was the son of free peasants in the Alpine Valley of Switzerland near Lake Constance and the German border. He would study the classics and music in the new Humanist style, spending time in Basel and Bern and eventually becoming a correspondent of the Humanist Erasmus.

He was ordained a priest and believed, in the Erasmian and Humanist style, that he could reform the church- and then society- from within. XX He was ecstatic to get Erasmus’ New Testament in 1516 and Luther’s business in 1517 and beyond, but his reform took a different approach, and this would lead to a bitter dispute between the two men and Zwingli, unfortunately, being forgotten or labeled a “radical” or “mere memorialist”- neither appropriate designations.

Zwingli’s reforms would begin with him deciding to preach not from the assigned texts but verse-by-verse (we might say) through the Scriptures. This fits the model of Luther’s “Sola Scriptura” and led to many seeing parallel movements that might unite.

But Zwingli was not excommunicated as Luther was, instead, taking advantage of the Swiss political situation and arranged for a debate to be held before the city magistrates- in something like a pre-arranged outcome, Zwingli won, and the city allowed for his reforms.  

It was the affair of the Sausages that would spark the movement- Zwingli wrote the tract with the most attractive of Reformation titles, “On Meats,” and supported men who grilled sausages in defiance of the Lenten fast. By 1525, Zwingli had abolished the Mass and was arguing against church images and in favor of using the money spent by the church to be used on the poor. Despite his railing against Mercenaries (a popular occupation in Switzerland), he was a popular figure who came to the international front with the Colloquy of Marburg and his debate with Luther over the Lord’s Supper.

The two men agreed on most topics at hand- even over their disavowal of “transubstantiation,” the sometimes philosophical approach to Christ's presence in the Lord’s Supper. But where Luther believed Christ was “somehow” physically present Zwingli argued that Christ was present via the Holy Spirit. It was not a simple memorial meal for Zwingli, as has been argued, but there was no “real presence” as in the Lutheran view either. John Calvin’s position would be similar as would many later Reformed understandings of the Lord’s Supper- but the way in which Luther excoriated Zwingli made him a persona-non-grata amongst many. His Reform would be carried on by the likes of Heinrich Bullinger as the Swiss Reformation would coalesce around Calvin later.

Zwingli tragically was killed during the Second Battle of Kappel when his troops were ambushed overnight, and he was- somehow- careful of spurious eye-witness accounts- killed. Born in 1484, he was 46 when he was killed in 1531. 

Thanks for the question, Wade, and apologies for letting him jump the queue. The mailbag keeps going tomorrow and through the week.

 

 

The last word for today is from Mark 5 from the public ministry of Jesus:

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 20th of November 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who says he likes the dumb way I say Indiana names! He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man once again reminded that McGee and Me and Mac and Me are not the same, and only one probably listened to Psalty. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.