Explore Ulrich Zwingli's views on education and society, Christian redemption and the corrupted nature of humans. Discover the tradition of Jesus' birth, the concept of choosing between glory and a quiet life, reflections on the educational value of Age of Empires, and the importance of speech and rhetoric in humanism.
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Quick takeaways
Zwingli encourages young individuals to pursue great things that benefit others and avoid bourgeois values, even if it requires sacrifice.
Zwingli emphasizes the importance of cultivating good speech, as it reflects a wise and honest heart.
Deep dives
The importance of cultivating virtue and serving the common good
Zwingli emphasizes the need for young individuals to focus on developing virtues such as righteousness, fidelity, and decency. He urges them to serve the Christian community, the common good, the state, and individuals. He encourages them to avoid pursuing bourgeois values and instead strive to do great things that benefit others, even if it requires sacrifice.
The significance of truthful and effective speech
Zwingli highlights the importance of speaking the truth and maintaining consistency in speech. He believes that a person's speech reflects their inner character, and listening to others can reveal the quality of their soul. He emphasizes the need for individuals to cultivate good speech, as it serves as a reflection of a wise and honest heart.
The balance between ambition and moderation
Zwingli addresses the temptation to pursue glory and engage in excessive ambition. He cautions against becoming consumed by such pursuits, as it can divert individuals from the path of virtue and lead to instability. Instead, he encourages individuals to exercise moderation, act with humility, and avoid pursuing glory for its own sake.
The role of faith and personal transformation
Zwingli emphasizes the transformative power of faith and the need to strive for a genuine and unshakable hope in Christ. He believes that true Christian education begins and ends with the action of God, and that only through a personal connection with Christ can individuals experience inner renewal and a restoration of their conscience.
Ulrich Zwingli was one of the towering figures of the Reformation, a committed humanist, and a warrior who ultimately fell in battle. He despised the idea that Christianity could render men passive, and in a short treatise from 1523 to a young nobleman, he sketches the outlines of his ideal education for the creature called man: "We are set between the hammer and the anvil, half beast and half angel."
Davenant Institute Ad Fontes podcast on Zwingli: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/zwingli-we-hardly-knew-ye/id1557560666?i=1000545490988
Bruce Gordon's Zwingli: God's Armed Prophet: https://amzn.to/43zIOVN
New Humanists episode on T.S. Eliot's Notes Towards the Definition of Culture: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t-s-eliots-praise-for-privilege-episode-xvi/id1570296135?i=1000549689865
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