Couriers of the Gospel: England and Zurich, 1531–1558

In a speech before Zurich’s city council in 1553, Heinrich Bullinger declared that “the crown of England has entirely the teaching and faith that we also have.” These words suggest a more direct and abiding relationship between the English and Zurich Reformations than has been recognized by previous historians. This book deepens our understanding of Swiss and English Protestantism, while simultaneously shedding light on the interactive practices of early modern cultural and intellectual communities and the history of the book.
Three aspects of Zurich theology and practice attracted English evangelicals to Zurich’s tradition of Reformed Protestantism: rejection of the material aspects of Catholic piety, a strong anti-Anabaptist tradition, and stress on the unity of the religious and secular spheres under the authority of the civil magistrate. Dr Euler illustrates how English reformers adopted these ideas and applied them in England, allowing reformers like Bullinger to point to England as a potential ally and model of success for the Zurich tradition.