The Zurich Origins of Reformed Covenant Theology (Oxford Studies in Historical Theology)

This book offers a fresh interpretation of covenantal theology in the Reformation by demonstrating how the writings of the Zurich reformers Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) and his successor Heinrich Bullinger (1504-75) decisively shaped a foundation of the Reformed tradition. The book overturns previous research that has both emphasized Zurich's irreconcilability with later developments of Reformed covenant theology and downplayed the contribution of the Zurich theologians in favor of figures such as Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) and John Calvin (1509-64). It argues for the dependence of Calvin and other leading figures on Zurich and for continuity in the later Reformed tradition with its origins in the 1520s. Pierrick Hildebrand demonstrates that the concept of a prelapsarian covenant, generally used as an argument for discontinuity between Zurich and Heidelberg, was clearly present in Zwingli and Bullinger. Further, Bullinger's covenantal terminology, which integrates the concept of the covenant with union with Christ, was adopted by Calvin and later by the Heidelberg theologians. Rejecting the idea that Zurich and Geneva represented two different traditions, Hildebrand details significant continuities and agreement while paying attention to differences. To do this, he draws on printed texts but also makes extensive use of previously unexamined manuscript sources, such as commentaries and sermon notes, to provide a much fuller account of the origins of Reformed covenantal theology. Working across a range of literary genres and with careful attention to historical contexts, this book presents the evolution of a crucial part of Reformation thought in a new light. This book explores the origins and development of one of the most significant doctrines of Reformation theology. The innovative ways in which the Zurich reformer Huldrych Zwingli and his successor Heinrich Bullinger thought about the relationship between the Old and New Testaments left an indelible mark on the Reformed tradition in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Distinctively, Zwingli and Bullinger emphasized the continuity of both testaments and spoke of a single covenant between God and humanity. This would become one of the defining teachings of Reformed Christianity. This book follows the development of their "covenant theology" in the Reformation and argues for its adoption by John Calvin in Geneva and the German theologians of the post-Reformation era. Cover 1 Series 3 The Zurich Origins of Reformed Covenant Theology 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Abbreviations 12 Introduction: Zurich, Birthplace of the Reformed Tradition 14 PART I ZWINGLI AS INITIATOR 28 1. Testamental Discontinuity, 1519–​1525 30 2. Zwingli’s Covenantal Turn of 1525 65 PART II HEINRICH BULLINGER AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRADITION 122 3. Mutual Influence, to 1534 124 4. The Centrality of the Covenant, 1534–​1551 178 5. Consolidation, 1551–​1575 216 PART III RECEPTIONS 252 6. Calvin 254 7. Heidelberg 289 Epilogue: Where to Now? 304 Appendix: Bullinger’s Archive Material 306 Bibliography 410 Scripture Index 430 Subject Index 434