Today’s Leader of Faith
MARTIN BUCER
Home Call : 28 Feb 1551
German & English Reformer, Theologian, Professor at Cambridge University, Writer
Martin Bucer (1491–1551) was a German Protestant reformer who played a key role in the Reformation, particularly in Strasbourg. He was originally a member of the Dominican Order, but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he arranged for his monastic vows to be annulled. This encounter led him to embrace reformist ideas with the support of Franz von Sickingen, he worked for the reform movement. He also joined reformers like Jell, Capito, and Hedio, helping to advance the cause of reform. He sought unity among different branches of Protestantism, acting as a mediator between Lutherans and Zwinglians. His theology emphasized church discipline, moral renewal, and a more pastoral approach to reform. He attempted to reconcile Catholics and Protestants in the Holy Roman Empire but failed due to political conflicts. After being pressured into signing the Augsburg Interim, he was exiled to England in 1549, where he influenced the Book of Common Prayer. He is remembered as an early advocate of ecumenism. Later, he moved to England at the invitation of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, influencing the English Reformation. In this way, he greatly contributed to reformation across Europe.
Bucer was born on 11 November 1491 in Sélestat (now in France) He came from a modest family and joined the Dominican Order as a young boy, receiving a humanist and scholastic education. In 1517, he studied at the University of Heidelberg, where he was influenced by the works of Erasmus and later by Martin Luther, whom he met in 1518 during the Heidelberg Disputation. This encounter led him to embrace Reformation ideas, and by 1521, he left the Dominicans, got married, and began working for church reform in Strasbourg.
In 1518, Bucer met Martin Luther at the Heidelberg Disputation and aligned with his ideas. Facing threats from the Dominican Order for his reformist views, he secured release from his monastic vows in 1521. Under the protection of Franz von Sickingen, he worked as a chaplain and later became a pastor in Landstuhl. In 1522, he married Elisabeth Silbereisen and moved to Wissembourg, where he preached against traditional church practices. His sermons led to his excommunication, and after Sickingen’s death, Bucer fled to Strasbourg in 1523. There he found refuge with the help of reformer Matthew Zell. He became pastor of St. Aurelia’s Church and gained citizenship. Joining Zell, Capito, and Hedio, he helped advance the Reformation, drafting twelve articles rejecting Catholic doctrines. His efforts led to the removal of opposition and the reform of church services, including the introduction of congregational hymn singing, though some Catholic practices persisted in certain churches. He attempted to mediate between Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli, striving for peace despite their doctrinal differences on Holy Communion. He organized the Strasbourg church, enforced moral discipline, expelled sectarian groups, and helped establish the city’s official reformed faith. Later, he was forced out of Strasbourg for resisting the Catholic-leaning Augsburg Interim imposed by Emperor Charles V.
In 1549, after being exiled from Strasbourg due to Catholic resurgence, Bucer was invited by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to England. He became Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, where he influenced the English Reformation, particularly the development of the Book of Common Prayer. However, his health declined, and he died in 1551. Later, under Queen Mary I, his body was exhumed and burned as a heretic in 1556, though Queen Elizabeth I posthumously restored his honour in 1560. Later, his writings continued to be translated, reprinted, and disseminated throughout Europe.