Swiss Religion since the ReformationPatti - October 31, 2017
Switzerland before and during the Reformation
Before the Reformation, Switzerland was completely Catholic, but, as in the rest of Europe, the people realized the corruption in the Church needed to be addressed. The Reformation in Switzerland began in the 1520s with Ulrich Zwingli in Zürich, then continued with John Calvin in Geneva. It sparked civil wars, and Zwingli was killed in battle, which hindered the spread of Protestantism. Eventually, both sides signed a peace treaty allowing those areas already converted to Protestantism to remain Protestant, and Catholic areas to remain Catholic. So it continues today; each canton can choose which religion will be official.
Switzerland Today
In 1874, Switzerland passed a freedom of religion act that basically made religion a non-issue, and today, the main role of official religion is to determine which holidays the schools and businesses will observe. Switzerland is a self-proclaimed Christian country: 38.2% of the country is Catholic 26.9% is Protestant, 21.4% unaffiliated, and 4.9% Muslim (eda.admin.ch). However, most of those who affiliate with one Church or the other could hardly be called devout. The churches are empty, both spiritually and physically. For the most part, the Bible-preaching churches and their members choose not to affiliate with the state evangelical church (partly for tax reasons, but mostly for doctrinal issues). These churches are usually small, and incredibly difficult to find. I know of fewer than ten in the whole country, though I am sure more exist. My husband’s parents searched for many years before finding a church with coinciding preaching, music, and practices. We ourselves chose to move to a city with such a church, and we are so thankful for this group of 30 believers. Many people might say that we need another Reformation. But the Reformation was about correcting false doctrine; what Europe needs more than ever is an Awakening.