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'''Martin Bucer''' (November 11, 1491–February 28, 1551) was a [[Protestant Reformation|Protestant Reformer]] and scholar who is best known for reconciling differing Reform groups and contributing to the development of various Protestant traditions.
[[File:Martin Bucer.png|300px|thumb|Martin Bucer]]
'''Martin Bucer''' (November 11, 1491 – February 28, 1551) was a [[Protestant Reformation|Protestant Reformer]], [[scholar]] and [[pastor]] who is best known for reconciling differing Reform groups and contributing to the development of various [[Protestant]] traditions.
While Bucer is not well known in comparison to other major Reformers, he is arguably one of the most influential of them.<ref name="Reformation500"/> He played a large and positive role in the spreading Reformation across Europe despite the many compromises he made during his career in an attempt to unite [[Christians]] across [[Europe]].<ref name="Reformation500"/>
==Early life==
==Early life==
Bucer was born on November 11, 1491 in the town of Schlettstadt, near [[Strasbourg]] in the German-speaking area of modern-day [[France]].<ref name="Reformation500">[http://reformation500.csl.edu/bio/martin-bucer/ Martin Bucer]. ''reformation500.csl.edu''. Retrieved December 22, 2016.</ref> Although from a very poor family (his father was a [[cobbler]]), Bucer was able to attend a prestigious [[Dominican Order|Dominican]]-led Latin school in Schlettstadt, in which he took to join in 1506.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref>Trinterud, L.J. [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Bucer Martin Bucer]. ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved December 22, 2016.</ref> In 1516, Bucer transferred to [[Heidelberg]], in modern-day [[Germany]], to another Dominican institution for the purpose of continuing his education.<ref name="Reformation500"/> One of his professors there was [[Johannes Brenz]], who would also become a Reformer, and Bucer became influenced by [[Erasmus]] during this time.<ref name="Reformation500"/>
Bucer was born on November 11, 1491 in the town of Schlettstadt, near [[Strasbourg]] in the German-speaking area of modern-day [[France]].<ref name="Reformation500">[http://reformation500.csl.edu/bio/martin-bucer/ Martin Bucer]. ''reformation500.csl.edu''. Retrieved December 22, 2016.</ref> Although from a very poor family (his father was a [[cobbler]]), Bucer was able to attend a prestigious [[Dominican Order|Dominican]]-led Latin school in Schlettstadt, in which he took to join in 1506.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica">Trinterud, L.J. [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Bucer Martin Bucer]. ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved December 22, 2016.</ref> In 1516, Bucer transferred to [[Heidelberg]], in modern-day [[Germany]], to another Dominican institution for the purpose of continuing his education.<ref name="Reformation500"/> One of his professors there was [[Johannes Brenz]], who would also become a Reformer, and Bucer became influenced by [[Erasmus]] during this time.<ref name="Reformation500"/>
==Becoming a Reformer==
In April 1518, Bucer happened to attend to [[Heidelberg Disputation]], where he heard [[Martin Luther]] criticize the unbiblical views held by the [[Roman Catholic Church]].<ref name="Reformation500"/> He quickly became convinced by Luther and received permission by the [[Pope]] to leave the [[Dominican Order]] in 1521.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica"/> After working for the count palatine of the Rhine, and Elector of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], Bucer became a pastor at Landstuhl, in modern-day far-western Germany.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica"/>
While at Landstuhl, Bucer married Elizabeth Silbereisen, a former nun.<ref name="Reformation500"/> After the leader of Landstuhl, Franz von Sickingen, unsuccessfully led the Knights’ War against the elector of Trier,<ref name="Reformation500"/> Bucer was excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church in 1523 and went to Strasbourg.<ref name="Britannica"/> Along the way, Bucer stopped at Weissenburg to help the Reform movement there, and he preached several sermons and wrote his first theological treatise.<ref name="Reformation500"/>
Arriving in Strasbourg in 1523, Bucer took part in the Reform movement there.<ref name="Reformation500"/> He pastored the St. Aurelia’s church from 1524 to 1531 and the St. Thomas church from 1531 to 1540.<ref name="Reformation500"/> He also wrote several texts including commentaries and catechisms.<ref name="Reformation500"/> Among Bucer's many actions, in 1529 he persuaded the city to abolish the [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]].<ref name="Reformation500"/> Although he opposed capital punishment against [[anabaptists]], he worked to banish them from the city.<ref name="Reformation500"/>
In addition, Bucer played a major role in spreading the Reformation to and heling it succeed in numerous German cities, including Augsburg, Baden, [[Cologne]], [[Frankfurt|Frankfurt am Main]], [[Hamburg]], Hanau-Lichtenberg, [[Hesse]], Ulm, and Württemberg.<ref name="Reformation500"/>
==Role as mediator==
Starting in 1529, Bucer became involved in the controversies of the [[Eucharist]].<ref name="Reformation500"/> His city, Strasbourg was located between the areas influenced by Luther and [[Ulrich Zwingli]].<ref name="Britannica"/> Although Bucer held both Luther's and Zwingli's view of the Eucharist at different times, eventually adopting a middle-ground view, and despite his friendship with Zwingli, he could help the two reach an agreement in the 1529 [[Marburg Colloquy]].<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica"/> Bucer wrote a compromise statement on the issue, but it was affirmed by only four cities including his own.<ref name="Reformation500"/>
After this, Bucer worked hard and frequently to create unity among Protestant Christians.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica"/> Additionally, he "participated in nearly every meeting on religious questions held in Germany and [[Switzerland]] between 1524 and 1548."<ref name="Britannica"/> Bucer often supported using "obscure language and ambiguous formulas" when trying to reach a consensus on extremely divisive issues where any explicit agreement could not be achieved.<ref name="Britannica"/> He supported this because he thought that general theological reform among the people was more important than solving specific theological disagreements, which could be done at a later time.<ref name="Britannica"/> The agreements Bucer played a part in included the [[First Helvetic Confession]] and the [[Wittenberg Concord]], both in 1536.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica"/> Despite their limited success, both agreements could not create real or permanent unity among Protestants.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica"/>
Bucer also attempted to reunited Roman Catholics and Protestants. He participated in colloquies between the two in [[Worms]] in 1540 and [[Regensburg]] in 1541.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica"/> In the latter colloquy, Bucer co-wrote the Regensburg Book with [[Johannes Gropper]], a Roman Catholic theologian.<ref name="Reformation500"/> The book was a compromise between Roman Catholicism and Protestant Christanity.<ref name="Reformation500"/> After [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Charles V of Spain|Charles V]] used the book in his attempt to unite the two, Bucer rejected claims that he was trying to do likewise.<ref name="Britannica"/> The book was rejected by both sides, and the attempt at unification failed.<ref name="Britannica"/>
Bucer unsuccessfully attempted to reform the diocese of [[Bonn]] in 1543, under invitation by the archbishop of Cologne.<ref name="Reformation500"/> The efforts failed due to the opposition of Gropper, who co-wrote the Regensburg Book with him.<ref name="Reformation500"/> In 1548, when Charles V tried to force Protestants to return to the Roman Catholic religion under the [[Augsburg Interim]], with terms similar to the Regensburg compromise, Bucer helped lead the effort against the plan, as he thought it "would be a step backward" from Protestant theology.<ref name="Britannica"/> His efforts were unsuccessful, and after the attempt was approved by Bucer's former Protestant ally [[Johannes Sturm]], Bucer was forced to leave Strasbourg.<ref name="Reformation500"/>
Bucer's attempts at agreement involved ambiguous wording and many large and unnecessary compromises, especially with the unbiblical theology of the Roman Catholic Church.<ref name="Reformation500"/><ref name="Britannica"/> However, he still must be commended for his role in spreading the Reformation; his attempts at creating unity among Christians, especially between the various Protestant factions; as well as opposing other unbiblical compromises such as the Augsburg Interim.<ref name="Reformation500"/>
==Exile in England==
After being exiled from Strasbourg, Bucer and the other Protestant leaders were invited by [[Thomas Cranmer]] to England in 1549.<ref name="Britannica"/> Bucer played a large role in the English Reformation, supporting the more cautious Reformers like Cranmer as opposed to the more radial Reformers like [[John Knox]].<ref name="Britannica"/> Despite this, Bucer continued to mediate between the two sides, playing a large role in the content of ''The Second Prayer Book of Edward VI'', which was completed in 1552.<ref name="Britannica"/>
Soon after writing ''De Regno Christi'', his most important work, which explained his plans for reforming the English church and government and was favorably received by King [[Edward VI]], Bucer became ill and died on February 28, 1551.<ref name="Britannica"/>
==References==
==References==
==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*Greschat, Martin. [https://books.google.com/books?id=LbNhllq9HkwC&source=gbs_navlinks_s ''Martin Bucer: A Reformer and His Times'']. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004).
*Greschat, Martin (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=LbNhllq9HkwC&source=gbs_navlinks_s ''Martin Bucer: A Reformer and His Times'']. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press). ISBN: 9780664226909.
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