The Reformed tradition grew up in several cities at once. These 6 founders’ lives run from Zwingli’s birth in 1484 to Beza’s death in 1605. Each page has their life, their teaching, passages in their own words, and the sources behind every claim.
Listed by birth year.
- Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) · Zurich. Led the Swiss Reformation, founded the Swiss Reformed Church, and broke with Luther over the Lord’s Supper.
- Martin Bucer (1491-1551) · Strasbourg. Spent decades trying to reconcile rival reform movements. Calvin learned from him.
- Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1575) · Zurich. Zwingli’s successor for 44 years, and author of the Second Helvetic Confession.
- John Calvin (1509-1564) · Geneva. Wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion and shaped the church in Geneva.
- John Knox (c. 1514-1572) · Scotland. The foremost leader of the Scottish Reformation.
- Theodore Beza (1519-1605) · Geneva. First rector of the Geneva Academy, and Calvin’s successor.
Where they worked
Zurich: Zwingli, then Bullinger. Strasbourg: Bucer, with Calvin from 1538 to 1541. Geneva: Calvin, then Beza, with Knox pastoring English refugees there in the 1550s. Scotland: Knox, from 1559.
To see how their lives overlap, read How they connect.
Who’s next
Pages on more founders may follow, including Johannes Oecolampadius, Guillaume Farel, and Peter Martyr Vermigli.
Sources
The details above are summarized from each founder’s page, where every fact carries its own footnote.