Module 3: The Swiss Reformation

Hi everyone, and welcome to the third module of the History of Christianity 2 Course. In this section, we'll be working through the ministries of two influential leaders in the reformation which happened in the nation of Switzerland - Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin. These two men had tremendous influence on the church in their day, but also on subsequent history after them.

This module will help you to understand their contributions to the reformation of God's church, the reasons behind their influence, including their personal lives, attitudes & goals, their ministry strategies and activities, and the short and long term results that came out of their ministries.

The student will be exposed to the main events of history, but also the major doctrines and writings of each Swiss leader. And the student will learn what difference these things had on the church in Switzerland and how this spread to other parts of Europe. This module will also aid the student to evaluate these doctrines and changes, and work through how the lessons learned can be applied in their own life and ministry.

Introductory Scenario

It is a constant question in business, education, politics, and virtually every other organization: How do we initiate and institute positive change? Imagine you are in a position of influence in some organization. For whatever reason, you notice needed changes which no one else can see. But you also have good ideas of the direction in which the organization should change. What activities can you do to instigate these changes? How can you convince others of the need for change? How can you get them on board with desiring these changes and working toward them? What obstacles do you see that would hinder the changes? How can you overcome these obstacles? Please consider these questions and be watching for material that will help you answer them as you work through this module.

Module Objectives and Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:

  • Understand and describe the life and ministry of Ulrich Zwingli and the tremendous influence he had on the Swiss church of his day.
  • Describe the theological ideas taught by Zwingli and the result of these ideas for his society.
  • Understand and describe the life and ministry of John Calvin and the tremendous influence he had on the European church and subsequent history.
  • Describe the theological ideas taught by Calvin and the result of these ideas on the church of his time and afterward.
  • Place the major events of the Swiss reformation in a general chronology.

Instruction Guides

In this section, you'll find links to important instructional documents for this module. Click the following links to open each document. There is a set of instructions for individual study and a document for group study.

Individual Student Guide
Group Student Guide

Textbook Content

In this section, you'll find a study guide for the textbook reading for module 3. And then you'll find the link to a practice quiz covering this textbook reading.

Textbook Reading List and Study Guide for Module 3

This section also contains a review quiz to test your understanding of the textbook material for this module. By clicking the banner below, you will be given a series of questions, in random order. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once.

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Gonzalez Textbook Quiz
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Textbook Review Quiz for Gonzalez chs. 5, 7 & 10

Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the Submit button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.


Zwingli had a more positive view of the power of reason than Luther did.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 63
Zwingli reached his conclusions as a direct result of Luther's teaching.

True

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 57-60

False

Good Job
The church in Geneva (under Calvin's leadership) tried to exercise control over civic life and morality.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 82-84
The Brethren of the Common Life prepared the way for Protestantism by promoting the reading of Scripture in the people's native language.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 116
Calvin had to be convinced to stay in Geneva and take a pastoral role in the city.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 81
Zwingli's theology differed from Luther's on most points.

True

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 62

False

Well Done
"The Institutes of Christian Religion" was written only to deal with controversial matters.

True

Sorry, See Gonzalez p. 79

False

Correct
The Seventeen Provinces embraced Philip's attempt to unite them under Spanish control.

True

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 115-116

False

Well Done
Calvin started a school to train the youth of Geneva, but which also impacted much of Europe via visiting students.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 84
Which book did Gonzalez describe as "the high point of Protestant systematic theology in the time of the Reformation"?

The Chronicles of Narnia

Not Even Close

May God Condemn Your Repose

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 80

The Augsburg Confession

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 80

The Institutes of Christian Religion

Well Done

The Thirty Nine Articles

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 80

Lecture Content

In this section, you will find the video lecture for the Swiss Reformation module. Click the banner to open access to the video. There are also links with each video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface or download just the audio to listen offline.

Lecture Study Guide for Module 3
Blank Lecture Notes for Module 3
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03: Swiss Reformation
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Watch on Rumble
Watch on YouTube
Download Audio

Reviews

In this section, you will find the review slides from the course lectures for module 8. This is a convenient way to view and review the summaries for each lecture. Click the banner to open the slide show.

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Review Slideshow
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Click the prev. and next buttons (bottom right of the slide) to move through the slides. You can also click on any thumbnail to go directly to that slide.

Discussion/Reflection/Essay Questions

This section contains questions for further thought and discussion from Module 3. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. Below, you will find links to the Response and Application Reflection Instructions for Individuals, and the Response and Application Discussion Instructions for Groups. And you will find a link to the detailed question document for this module. Or Click the banner below to view the questions in a simplified format.

Instructions for Individuals
Instruction for Groups
Discussion/Reflection Questions for Module 3
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Discussion/Application Questions
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The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:

  1. Why was Zwingli significant? What can we learn from his ministry? How does this apply?
  2. Why was Calvin significant? What can we learn from his ministry? How does this apply?
  3. What significance do the "Five Solas" have? How do they apply to life and ministry?
  4. What else did you learn? How does it apply?

(Optional) Timeline - Part 3

This section contains instructions for an optional Timeline activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.

Timeline Project Instructions

Step Three of the Timeline should include the following information:

  • Any significant events from the life and ministry of Ulrich Zwingli.
  • Any significant events from the life and ministry of John Calvin.
  • Any significant writings of Zwingli and Calvin, and the ideas, doctrines, and approaches which they represent, and the impact they had.

(Optional) Principles Chart - Part 3

This section contains instructions for an optional Principles Chart activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.

Principles Chart Instructions

Step three of the Principles chart will add any important principles noted from the life, writings, and ministry of Ulrich Zwingli and/or John Calvin, the influence they had, the reasons behind that influence, and how those principles can be applied.

It is suggested that the student begin this activity before watching the Guiding Principles portion of the lecture. Then the student may supplement their work after learning additional insights from the Guiding Principles.

(Optional) Term Project Topic

The student will begin their term project by surveying the course schedule, textbook contents, and/or the course topics, looking for a person, event, or other topic which captures their interest for further investigation. They will narrow from the variety of things covered in this course to choose one event, movement, controversy, or person that they will research in more depth throughout the term and create a presentation of their findings. This first step is just to decide on the topic of their project. It is helpful to write out the topic in order to guide and constrain the focus of the research and term project as a whole. Below is a link to detailed instructions for the entire project.

Term Project Instructions

Primary Source Reading

This section contains instructions and resources for the Primary Source Reading activity. The student should read a minimum of 10-20 pages from a primary resource or resources discussed in this module's lecture and write or discuss a brief response to their reading. Below is a link to detailed instructions for the Primary Source Reading, which contain a list of recommended resources, by module. And click the banner below to access a list of recommended resources with links to where they may be found.

Primary Source Reading Instructions
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Primary Sources
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The following is a list of the recommended primary sources for this module. This list contains links to the resources in print and/or online format. These links may change, so feel free to search for other sources for these same titles. In addition, please do not feel you are limited only to this list. Feel free to choose from any primary source from the period and topic covered in this module:

Links to Primary Sources

Review Quiz

This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 3. By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the banner to begin the quiz.

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Quiz for Module 03
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Review Quiz for Module 03

Here is a review quiz for the material covered in this module's lectures. Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.


According to the Lecture, which of these is NOT considered Calvin's greatest accomplishments?

The Geneva Academy

Sorry, see Lecture 03

The Institutes of Christian Religion

Sorry, see Lecture 03

The civil and legal government system of Geneva

Well Done

The Lecture suggests we should imitate the Swiss reformers by having a very high view of God

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 03
Which of these is NOT an idea argued by Zwingli?

Works of penance do not help in salvation

Sorry, see Lecture 03

Indulgences are a fraud to take advantage of the Swiss people

Well Done

Clerical celibacy is not Biblical, and should be rejected

Sorry, see Lecture 03

God remits sins through Christ, and is not dependent on the church

Sorry, see Lecture 03

The liturgy should come from the Bible, not human tradition

Sorry, see Lecture 03

The Bible is the judge of all truth

Sorry, see Lecture 03

Zwingli preached straight through books of the Bible, which was a novelty in his time.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 03
Calvin's Institutes grew in size as it went through different editions over time

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 03
Zwingli was more open to human reason than Luther, and therefore, he used it as a greater authority than Scripture

True

He was more open to reason, but did not give it more authority than Scripture, see Lecture 03

False

Well Done
Calvin had to flee his native France, because he had publicly sided with Luther's theology

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 03
Zwingli noticed the contrast between what he saw in the New Testament and what he saw in the contemporary medieval church, leading him to desire reformation.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 03
Zwingli, like Luther, translated the Bible into the common language of the people.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 03
Zwingli studied humanities, which included the study of the Greek New Testament, influencing him toward reformation principles.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 03

Module Completed!

Congratulations, you have reached the end of the third module. I hope that you have found it rewarding and have noticed personal growth.

I encourage you to continue on the next module as soon as is convenient. The button below will take you to Module 4.