Konrad Schmids Predigt von 1522 in Luzern

The sermon by Konrad Schmid held on 24 March 1522 on the occasion of the procession to the Musegg in Lucerne in front of several thousand listeners, is the oldest printed sermon of the Swiss Reformation. It was printed by its preacher himself. It appears here in a slightly normalized copy with a translation into today’s German and a theological historical classification. Schmid was attacked by Lucerne clergy and defends himself in this pamphlet Antwurt and tries to continue the conversation about the new faith in Lucerne. The sermon expresses the findings of the Zurich Reformation in a concise and committed manner. It provides insights into the early Reformation preaching culture in Switzerland and testifies to Schmid’s great homiletic skills and to his artful language. At the Musegg – 15 days after the sausage dinner in Zurich – Schmid brought up many topics that became important for Reformed theology and the church. Schmid tries to gain the hearts of the listeners and, despite his partly revolutionary message, builds bridges to them. The sermon proves to be an often forgotten early key text of the Swiss Reformation.