The Swiss Reformation - Bruce Gordon

. .

Résumé :
The Swiss Reformation was a seminal event of the sixteenth century which created a Protestant culture whose influence spread across Europe from Transylvania to Scotland. Offers the first comprehensive study of the Swiss Reformation and argues that the movement must be understood in terms of the historical evolution of the Swiss Confederation, its unique and fluid structures, the legacy of the mercenary trade, the distinctive character of Swiss theology, the powerful influence of Renaissance humanism, and, most decisively, the roles played by the dominant figures, Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger. Marked by astounding creative energy, incendiary preaching, burning political passions, peasant revolts, and breath-taking scholarship, as well as by painful divisions, civil war, executions and dashed hopes, the story of the Swiss Reformation is told with extensive use of primary sources. Explores the narrative of events before turning to consider themes such as the radical opposition, church and community, daily life in the Confederation, cultural achievements and the Swiss place in the wider European Reformation world.

Biographie:
Bruce Gordon was 7 years old and living in Honolulu when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and he remembers it well. On Christmas Day, 1941, he left with his family as a refugee in a convoy to San Francisco, only to return in 1943 when his father considered it safe. After the war, he went to Hong Kong and experienced China under British rule.Bruce returned to the USA for college. He joined the AFROTC at Tufts College, starting a 20-year career in the US Air Force as a fighter pilot and maintenance officer. He flew many Active Air Scrambles in Alaska, intercepting Russian aircraft and a high-altitude balloon. He transferred to the F-106 in Michigan, learning the SAGE air defense system. He learned aerial refueling and fighter tactics, with practice dogfights with F-104s. His squadron deployed to South Korea, where he intercepted Russian aircraft and buzzed a Russian fleet. He was transferred to Vietnam, where he flew the F-100 in 132 combat missions, attacking enemy troops and the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Bruce returned to the USA with the Distinguished Flying Cross and 9 Air Medals. He helped develop drones and worked with test aircraft. After retirement, he developed and taught Electronic Warfare in Michigan, then went to Saudi Arabia to manage a business airline. He returned to the USA to work as a contractor developing software for tracking maintenance of USAF aircraft and Army tanks & multiple weapon systems. He retired again and lives in Georgetown, Kentucky. He has a wife, three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Sommaire:
Table of contents Table of maps Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction 1. Peasants, priests and soldiers: The Swiss Confederation in the Late Middle Ages 2. Zwingli and Zurich 3. The spread of the Reformation 4. War and disaster 1529-1534 5. Consolidation and turmoil 1534-1566 6. The radical challenge 7. Church building 8. Church and society 9. International Zwinglianism 10. Culture of the Swiss Reformation Chronology Principal figures Further reading Index