Simon Sulzer
Encyclopedia
Simon Sulzer was a Reformed theologian, Reformer, and Antistes
of the Basel church.
, the child of a priest. He was educated in Bern and Lucerne
. The sudden death of his father, the provost of Interlaken
, forced him to turn to manual labor to support himself. He worked as a barber in Strasbourg
and attended lectures by Martin Bucer
and Wolfgang Capito. He moved to Basel
in 1531, where he associated with Simon Grynaeus
. Here he worked as a proofreader at the print shop of Johann Heerwagen and was also employed as a teacher. From 1533 he worked in Bern in education and proved his worth in the schools.
On the initiative of the Bern town council, he pursued additional studies in 1537 and took a master’s degree. As a supporter of the Wittenberg Concord
, he was in Wittenberg
in 1536 and was greatly impressed by Martin Luther
, as he revealed to his friend Joachim Vadianus. He blamed the disagreement with Luther on the Swiss. Meanwhile, the older generation of reformers of Bern, Berchtold Haller
and Franz Kolb
, died, and a new direction was set by certain theologians from Strasbourg, to which he also adhered. As a learned and clever man, he soon became the head of the Bernese clergy. His impact was multifaceted and not always unambiguous. He was consumed in the struggle with the followers of Ulrich Zwingli, to whom he eventually was forced to concede in 1548.
He received a post in Basel in 1549, first as pastor of the Peterskirche, then as a professor and as Antistes
of the Basel church in 1553. He proceeded more cautiously here than in Bern. He endeavored to bring about the reconciliation of the German and Swiss churches, although he kept a relative distance from the Zwinglian and Calvinist position. His Lutheran inclinations made him favor the Formula of Concord
over the Second Helvetic Confession and to likewise to promote private confession, organs and church bells. Thus he occupied an awkward position vis-à-vis the Swiss churches and provoked opposition. His efforts proved to be only an ephemeral episode in Basel.
He played a major role in the introduction of the Reformation into the margravate of Baden-Durlach. He ordained Protestant ministers for this area in 1556 and led by church visitations. Without abandoning his position in Basel, he worked as a Superintendent in Baden. Sulzer was an energetic and responsible worker into his old age. He died in Basel
.
Antistes
Antistes was from the 16th to the 19th century the title of the head of the church in the Reformed Churches in Switzerland...
of the Basel church.
Life
Sulzer was born in SchattenhalbSchattenhalb
Schattenhalb is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-History:The municipality was created in 1834 from the cooperative farms of "Willigen," "Geissholz," "Falchern" and "Lugen." The name Schattenhalb refers to the shady face of...
, the child of a priest. He was educated in Bern and Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
. The sudden death of his father, the provost of Interlaken
Interlaken
Interlaken is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.-History:...
, forced him to turn to manual labor to support himself. He worked as a barber in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
and attended lectures by Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer was a Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and practices. Bucer was originally a member of the Dominican Order, but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he arranged for his monastic vows to be annulled...
and Wolfgang Capito. He moved to Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
in 1531, where he associated with Simon Grynaeus
Simon Grynaeus
Simon Grynaeus , German scholar and theologian of the Reformation, son of Jacob Gryner, a Swabian peasant, was born at Veringendorf, in Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.He adopted the name Grynaeus from the epithet of Apollo in Virgil...
. Here he worked as a proofreader at the print shop of Johann Heerwagen and was also employed as a teacher. From 1533 he worked in Bern in education and proved his worth in the schools.
On the initiative of the Bern town council, he pursued additional studies in 1537 and took a master’s degree. As a supporter of the Wittenberg Concord
Wittenberg Concord
Wittenberg Concord , is a religious concordat signed by Reformed and Lutheran theologians and churchmen on May 29, 1536 as an attempted resolution of their differences with respect to the Real Presence of Christ's body and blood in the Eucharist...
, he was in Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
in 1536 and was greatly impressed by Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, as he revealed to his friend Joachim Vadianus. He blamed the disagreement with Luther on the Swiss. Meanwhile, the older generation of reformers of Bern, Berchtold Haller
Berchtold Haller
Berchtold Haller was a German protestant reformer born at Aldingen in Württemberg. He was the reformer of the city of Bern, Switzerland....
and Franz Kolb
Franz Kolb
Franz Kolb was a German pharmacist and the inventor of the modeling paste Plastilin. In English-speaking countries this material is also known as "plasticine." Because of different patent rights in Germany and England there are different views about who actually invented plasticine. In England,...
, died, and a new direction was set by certain theologians from Strasbourg, to which he also adhered. As a learned and clever man, he soon became the head of the Bernese clergy. His impact was multifaceted and not always unambiguous. He was consumed in the struggle with the followers of Ulrich Zwingli, to whom he eventually was forced to concede in 1548.
He received a post in Basel in 1549, first as pastor of the Peterskirche, then as a professor and as Antistes
Antistes
Antistes was from the 16th to the 19th century the title of the head of the church in the Reformed Churches in Switzerland...
of the Basel church in 1553. He proceeded more cautiously here than in Bern. He endeavored to bring about the reconciliation of the German and Swiss churches, although he kept a relative distance from the Zwinglian and Calvinist position. His Lutheran inclinations made him favor the Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith that, in its two parts , makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as...
over the Second Helvetic Confession and to likewise to promote private confession, organs and church bells. Thus he occupied an awkward position vis-à-vis the Swiss churches and provoked opposition. His efforts proved to be only an ephemeral episode in Basel.
He played a major role in the introduction of the Reformation into the margravate of Baden-Durlach. He ordained Protestant ministers for this area in 1556 and led by church visitations. Without abandoning his position in Basel, he worked as a Superintendent in Baden. Sulzer was an energetic and responsible worker into his old age. He died in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
.
Further Reading
- J. R. Lindner: Lebensabriß des Simon Sulzer. Zeitschrift für die gesamte lutherische Theologie und Kirche, 30 (1869): 666-689.
- Realenzyklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche. vol. 19, pp. 159-162.