Just some intersting history:
1. Theodore Beza (1519-l605): French. Friend and biographer of Calvin, who succeeded him as Pastor in Geneva, Switzerland. He published a Latin translation of the New Testament in 1556 and a critical Greek text in 1565.
2. Martin Bucer (1491-1551): German. Introduced and promoted Protestantism at Strassburg (now in France). He held to a view of the Eucharist intermediate between Luther and Zwingli, and for a time acted as a sort of moderator between parties. He wrote On the Kingdom of Christ (1550), the first Protestant treatise on social ethics.
3. Heinrich Bullinger (1504-75): Swiss. Succeeded Zwingli as chief Pastor of Zurich, Switzerland, and was the most moderate and tolerant of all the Protestant Founders, but not as influential as many of them. He was the author of the Second Helvetic Confession of 1566, and was an aide to Queen Elizabeth of England.
4. John Calvin (1509-64): French. Chief Pastor at Geneva from 1541-64, and author of Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536 with many revisions), the most influential work of Protestant systematic theology. Calvin's commentaries also set the tone for Protestant exegesis. He became the central figure of the Protestant Revolt after Luther's death and ultimately was even more important historically, with Calvinist churches thriving especially in the Netherlands, Scotland, England, and America.
5. Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556): English. The first Archbishop of Canterbury after the Church of England broke with Rome, and Henry VIII's chief agent for overthrowing papal supremacy. He annulled Henry's marriages to both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, and was the primary author of the Book of Common Prayer.
6. William Farel (1489-1565): French. He introduced Protestantism to Neuchatel, Switzerland in 1530, and to Geneva in 1535, and later presided at Berne. His marriage at 69 to a young widow met with the disapproval of Calvin.
7. John Knox (1505?-72): Scottish. He closely followed the doctrines of Calvin and brought the Protestant faith to Scotland in 1560. He was perhaps the most anti-Catholic and virulent revolutionary of all the early Protestant leaders.
8. Martin Luther (1483-1546): German. "Father of the Reformation", who started it with his 95 Theses, posted at Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. His most important works (and his own favorites) were the Commentary on Galatians and The Bondage of the Will. He also translated the Bible into German, and wrote innumerable pamphlets which circulated widely. He was a dazzling orator, but his thought was unsystematic, and often slanderous and/or vulgar. He believed that the body and blood of Christ were literally present in the Eucharist "in, around, and with the bread" ("consubstantiation") - the view closest to Catholicism.
9. Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560): German. Right-hand man and successor to Luther, but with a much milder temperament. He wrote Loci Communes Theologici (1521, rev. 1555), the first Protestant systematic theology, and the Augsburg Confession (1530), a relatively conciliatory document which contained what could be considered many "Catholic" elements.
10. Johannes Oecolampadius (1482-1531): Swiss. Introduced Protestantism to Berne and Basle, Switzerland, and was Chief Pastor at Basle; friend of Zwingli, with whom he shared his symbolic view of the Eucharist. He was overwhelmed with shock at the news of Zwingli's death on the battlefield, and died soon afterwards.
11. Huldreich Zwingli (1484-1531): Swiss. Chief Pastor of Zurich; "Reformer" of Switzerland. He held that the Eucharist was purely symbolic, and was the most "radical" of the Protestant revolutionaries, apart from the anarchical Anabaptists. He died in a battle at Cappel, Switzerland, along with many of his preachers.
1. Theodore Beza (1519-l605): French. Friend and biographer of Calvin, who succeeded him as Pastor in Geneva, Switzerland. He published a Latin translation of the New Testament in 1556 and a critical Greek text in 1565.
2. Martin Bucer (1491-1551): German. Introduced and promoted Protestantism at Strassburg (now in France). He held to a view of the Eucharist intermediate between Luther and Zwingli, and for a time acted as a sort of moderator between parties. He wrote On the Kingdom of Christ (1550), the first Protestant treatise on social ethics.
3. Heinrich Bullinger (1504-75): Swiss. Succeeded Zwingli as chief Pastor of Zurich, Switzerland, and was the most moderate and tolerant of all the Protestant Founders, but not as influential as many of them. He was the author of the Second Helvetic Confession of 1566, and was an aide to Queen Elizabeth of England.
4. John Calvin (1509-64): French. Chief Pastor at Geneva from 1541-64, and author of Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536 with many revisions), the most influential work of Protestant systematic theology. Calvin's commentaries also set the tone for Protestant exegesis. He became the central figure of the Protestant Revolt after Luther's death and ultimately was even more important historically, with Calvinist churches thriving especially in the Netherlands, Scotland, England, and America.
5. Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556): English. The first Archbishop of Canterbury after the Church of England broke with Rome, and Henry VIII's chief agent for overthrowing papal supremacy. He annulled Henry's marriages to both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, and was the primary author of the Book of Common Prayer.
6. William Farel (1489-1565): French. He introduced Protestantism to Neuchatel, Switzerland in 1530, and to Geneva in 1535, and later presided at Berne. His marriage at 69 to a young widow met with the disapproval of Calvin.
7. John Knox (1505?-72): Scottish. He closely followed the doctrines of Calvin and brought the Protestant faith to Scotland in 1560. He was perhaps the most anti-Catholic and virulent revolutionary of all the early Protestant leaders.
8. Martin Luther (1483-1546): German. "Father of the Reformation", who started it with his 95 Theses, posted at Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. His most important works (and his own favorites) were the Commentary on Galatians and The Bondage of the Will. He also translated the Bible into German, and wrote innumerable pamphlets which circulated widely. He was a dazzling orator, but his thought was unsystematic, and often slanderous and/or vulgar. He believed that the body and blood of Christ were literally present in the Eucharist "in, around, and with the bread" ("consubstantiation") - the view closest to Catholicism.
9. Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560): German. Right-hand man and successor to Luther, but with a much milder temperament. He wrote Loci Communes Theologici (1521, rev. 1555), the first Protestant systematic theology, and the Augsburg Confession (1530), a relatively conciliatory document which contained what could be considered many "Catholic" elements.
10. Johannes Oecolampadius (1482-1531): Swiss. Introduced Protestantism to Berne and Basle, Switzerland, and was Chief Pastor at Basle; friend of Zwingli, with whom he shared his symbolic view of the Eucharist. He was overwhelmed with shock at the news of Zwingli's death on the battlefield, and died soon afterwards.
11. Huldreich Zwingli (1484-1531): Swiss. Chief Pastor of Zurich; "Reformer" of Switzerland. He held that the Eucharist was purely symbolic, and was the most "radical" of the Protestant revolutionaries, apart from the anarchical Anabaptists. He died in a battle at Cappel, Switzerland, along with many of his preachers.
