Although unknown to many people, Huldreich Zwingli played a pivotal role in the formation of the Protestant religions, and Zwingli is even often remembered as one of the first Reformed theologians. Huldreich Zwingli was a Swiss pastor and an influential Protest leader in the Reformation; he played a large part in the break with the Catholic Church. Zwingli, born on January 1, 1484, was raised by his father, an upper-middle-class farmer and shepherd. His father was also the chief magistrate for their district, allowing Zwingli to receive an outstanding education. Hudreich Zwingli grew up with the normal Swiss virtues, such as independence, patriotism, and interest in scholarship, and a zeal for religion, being instilled into him. After realizing …show more content…
With his extensive biblical knowledge, Zwingli began preaching the same message Martin Luther would soon proclaim. Zwingli left Glarus because of political pressures and his sermons against mercenary fighting. He then serves as a priest at the Benedictine monastery in Einsiedeln, a resort city known for their shrine to the Virgin Mary. This shrine of the Virgin Mary attracted many pilgrims, who all heard Zwingli preach expanding his reputation and influence. Since Einsiedeln was much smaller than Glarus so his duties were lighter. This allowed him more time to study Scripture and the Church Fathers. As he became more known as a preacher, he began criticizing the abuses of the church, especially the sale of indulgences, but Zwingli did not yet see any need to change what the church believed. Huldreich Zwingli’s expanding influence have him the title of the people’s priest at the Great Cathedral in Zurich. Zwingli broke the practice of preaching according to the church calendar, and instead, decided to preach sequentially through all the books of the Bible. In autumn of 1519, Zwingli contracted the plague while caring for the sick and dying of Zurich and nearly died. His sacrifice increased his popularity with the