Ulrich (or Huldrych) Zwingli (1484-1531) is considered to be, alongside Luther and Calvin, one of the three “Fathers of the Reformation”. Yet although we have Lutherans and Calvinists, few if any would describe themselves as “Zwinglian” today. The reason for that odd fact lies in Zwingli’s life and his manner of leaving it.

Zwingli was born to a large family of well-to-do Swiss farmers. His schooling was heavy on languages but light on theology, and he was ordained in 1506. For the next 10 years he was pastor at Glarus, a prime recruiting centre for mercenaries in the papal service; this divided the town into French, imperial and papal political factions, and Zwingli was very much on the papal side. But a decisive defeat of the papal army destroyed Zwingli’s political position in Glarus, and he was forced to move to the abbey of Einsiedeln. There he concluded that mercenary service was evil.