Zwingli called Christ- 'Our Captain'
 |
| Portrait of Ulrich Zwingli after his death 1531 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Readers unfamiliar with the First Reformer of Switzerland have a basis from which to understand him. Zwingli wrote in Latin and Swiss German (in its sixteenth century form).
‘Christ our Captain’ is a phrase which Zwingli used quite frequently to describe his understanding of both who Christ is and who Christians are in relation to him. Zwingli used the phrase ‘Christ our Captain’ in sermons, in letters, and in his theological books. By it he meant to imply that it is Christ who is our commander, our leader.
He issues the orders and we follow him. The Church is his ‘army’ in the sense that all in it are engaged in the struggle against evil and godlessness and must serve faithfully so that righteousness and justice prevail in this world. It serves, then, as a thumbnail sketch or statement of his entire theological system.
Many people are simply unfamiliar with Zwingli. Zwingli, though frequently perceived to be a man of war (in a physical sense- he was certainly a spiritual warrior) was incredibly pious. He deeply believed in God and saw in Christ the Savior and Lord. He turned to Scripture as his final authority and he taught the importance of prayer and personal spirituality. All of that will be fleshed out and amply demonstrated in the pages which follow.
One of the things that strikes those first encountering Zwingli is the multiplicity of ways his first name is spelled. Is it Ulrich or Huldrych or Huldreich? And why is there so much variation? Put simply, Ulrich was Zwingli’s birth-name. It became, in Latin, Huldreich. But in German, Zwingli himself preferred, and used, Huldrych. Such variation was possible because in the 16th century spellings weren’t fixed. People frequently spelled their names in different ways depending on their inclinations and even moods.
West, J. (2011). “Christ Our Captain”: An Introduction to Huldrych Zwingli (pp. 8–10). Quartz Hill, CA: Quartz Hill Publishing House.
Many people are simply unfamiliar with Zwingli. Zwingli, though frequently perceived to be a man of war (in a physical sense- he was certainly a spiritual warrior) was incredibly pious. He deeply believed in God and saw in Christ the Savior and Lord. He turned to Scripture as his final authority and he taught the importance of prayer and personal spirituality. All of that will be fleshed out and amply demonstrated in the pages which follow.
One of the things that strikes those first encountering Zwingli is the multiplicity of ways his first name is spelled. Is it Ulrich or Huldrych or Huldreich? And why is there so much variation? Put simply, Ulrich was Zwingli’s birth-name. It became, in Latin, Huldreich. But in German, Zwingli himself preferred, and used, Huldrych. Such variation was possible because in the 16th century spellings weren’t fixed. People frequently spelled their names in different ways depending on their inclinations and even moods.
West, J. (2011). “Christ Our Captain”: An Introduction to Huldrych Zwingli (pp. 8–10). Quartz Hill, CA: Quartz Hill Publishing House.
