Martin Bucer (1491–1551) was a Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg
who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and
practices. Although originally a member of the Dominican Order, 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 Roman 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. In 1548, Bucer was
persuaded, under duress, to sign the Augsburg Interim, which imposed
certain forms of Catholic worship. However, he continued to promote
reforms until the city of Strasbourg accepted the Interim, and forced
him to leave. In 1549, Bucer was exiled to England, where, under the
guidance of Thomas Cranmer, he was able to influence the second
revision of the Book of Common Prayer. He is remembered as an early
pioneer of ecumenism, and many Protestant denominations have claimed
him as one of their own.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bucer>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1271:
Mongol ruler Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty in present-day
Mongolia and China.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_Dynasty>
1892:
The first performance of the fairy tale-ballet The Nutcracker, composed
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and based on the story by E. T. A.
Hoffmann, was held at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg,
Russia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker>
1912:
The Piltdown Man: At a meeting of the Geological Society of London,
amateur British archaeologist Charles Dawson claimed that he had been
given a fragment of a skull that was discovered at a gravel pit near
Uckfield, East Sussex, England, which later turned out to be a forgery.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piltdown_Man>
1966:
Epimetheus , one of the moons of Saturn, was discovered, but was
mistaken as Janus. It took 12 years to determine that they are two
distinct objects sharing the same orbit.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimetheus_%28moon%29>
1972:
Vietnam War: A few days after peace talks collapsed, the United States
began Operation Linebacker II against North Vietnam, the largest heavy
bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World
War II.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Linebacker_II>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
poltroon (n):
An ignoble or arrant coward; a dastard; a mean-spirited wretch
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/poltroon>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to
raise the sons of earth,
Born to give us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King!"
--Charles Wesley
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Wesley>
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