Martin Bucer (1491–1551)
Born 1491 CE, died 1551 CE.
Martin Bucer (; Early German: Martin Butzer; 11 November 1491 – 28 February 1551) was an Alsatian Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran and Anglican doctrines and practices as well as Reformed theology. Bucer 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. He then began to work for the Reformation, with the support of Franz von Sickingen. Bucer's efforts to reform the church in Wissembourg resulted in his excommunication from the Catholic Church, and he was forced to flee to Strasbourg. There he joined a team of reformers which included Matthew Zell, Wolfgang Capito, and Caspar Hedio. He acted as a mediator between the two leading reformers, Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli, who differed on the doctrine of the Eucharist. Later, Bucer sought agreement on common articles of faith such as the Tetrapolitan Confession and the Wittenberg Concord, working closely with Philipp Melanchthon on the latter. Bucer believed that the Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire could be convinced to join the Reformation.
Text from the Wikipedia article Martin_Bucer, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.