The leader of the Reformation in Zurich, whose austere, scripture-based reform and his break with Luther over the Eucharist shaped the Reformed tradition.
Life
A Swiss priest and humanist, Zwingli (1484–1531) launched the Reformation in Zurich from 1519, stripping churches of images, reforming worship, and binding the reform closely to the city government. He died in 1531 at the Battle of Kappel, fighting Catholic cantons.
Struggles & Trials
He struggled against Catholic opposition within the Swiss Confederation, against the radical Anabaptists who emerged from his own movement, and against Luther, with whom he failed to reach agreement — divisions that weakened the Protestant cause.
Teachings & Character
Zwingli taught the sole authority of scripture and a symbolic view of the Eucharist — that the bread and wine represent rather than become Christ's body — and pursued a thoroughgoing removal of images, music, and ceremony he judged unbiblical.
Mission & Conflicts
Unlike most reformers, Zwingli died in battle: he fell at Kappel in 1531 during war between Zurich and the Catholic cantons, a warrior-preacher's end that shocked contemporaries.
Contested & Debated
His symbolic Eucharist split him irreconcilably from Luther at the Colloquy of Marburg (1529), a rupture debated ever since; his fusion of church and civic power, and his approval of the persecution of Anabaptists (some drowned in Zurich), are also criticized.
Legacy
Zwingli founded the Reformed tradition alongside Calvin and left a lasting mark on Swiss and Protestant Christianity; his symbolic understanding of the sacraments remains influential in Reformed and evangelical churches.