What do you think?
Rate this book
Confession of the Christian Religion
In response to the Lutheran Formula of Concord, representatives of Reformed churches commissioned Girolamo Zanchi to draft a confession of faith acceptable to all Reformed churches. Zanchi patterned his Confession of the Christian Religion after the Apostles’ Creed, giving it a broadly Trinitarian and redemptive-historical structure that emphasizes God’s saving work for His people in His incarnate Son. It is a synthesis of his exegetical, doctrinal, and pastoral interests and stands out among his numerous publications as a useful and accessible overview of the entire Reformed theological system of doctrine. Although the project never attained confessional status at the ecclesiastical level as was planned, Zanchi’s Confession proved influential in both the Reformed theological tradition generally and the development of Reformed dogmatics in particular.
Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
The Confession of the Christian Religion
Dedicatory Letter
Letter to the Reader
Holy Scripture, the Foundation of the Whole Christian ReligionGod and the Divine Persons and PropertiesDivine Foreknowledge and PredestinationThe Omnipotence and Will of GodThe Creation of the World, the Angels, and the Condition of the First ManThe Providence and Governance of the WorldThe Fall of Man, and Concerning Original Sin and Its FruitsMan’s Free Will after the FallThe Promise of Redemption and Salvation by ChristThe LawChrist the RedeemerThe Actual Distribution of Redemption, Salvation, and Life Deposited in the One Christ (and the Indispensable Union and Fellowship with Christ)The Gospel and the Abrogation of the Law by Means of the GospelThe Sacraments of the New TestamentBaptismThe Lord’s SupperFaith, Hope, and LoveRepentanceJustificationThe Regenerate Man’s Free Will and His Power to Do GoodGood WorksPrayer and OathsChrist’s Church in GeneralThe Church MilitantThe Governance of the Church Militant and Ecclesiastical MinistryThe MagistrateThe Ongoing Remission of Sins in Christ’s ChurchThe State of Souls after Death and the Resurrection of the DeadThe Glorious Advent of Our Lord Jesus to Judge the Living and the DeadEternal LifeZanchi’s Own Observations on His Confession
An Appendix to Chapter Eleven
Certain Chief Articles of the Christian Faith Debated at Various Times at Heidelberg and Neustadt against Various Heresies
Bibliography
Index
About the Translator
Patrick O'Banion (PhD, Saint Louis University) is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and the author of several books, including The Sacrament of Penance and Religious Life in Golden Age Spain (2012) and Deza and Its Religion and Community in Early Modern Spain (2020). He taught history at the university level for two decades and currently works to train pastors overseas with Training Leaders International.
About the Author
Girolamo Zanchi (1516–1590) was an influential Reformed pastor and professor.
Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
The Confession of the Christian Religion
Dedicatory Letter
Letter to the Reader
Holy Scripture, the Foundation of the Whole Christian ReligionGod and the Divine Persons and PropertiesDivine Foreknowledge and PredestinationThe Omnipotence and Will of GodThe Creation of the World, the Angels, and the Condition of the First ManThe Providence and Governance of the WorldThe Fall of Man, and Concerning Original Sin and Its FruitsMan’s Free Will after the FallThe Promise of Redemption and Salvation by ChristThe LawChrist the RedeemerThe Actual Distribution of Redemption, Salvation, and Life Deposited in the One Christ (and the Indispensable Union and Fellowship with Christ)The Gospel and the Abrogation of the Law by Means of the GospelThe Sacraments of the New TestamentBaptismThe Lord’s SupperFaith, Hope, and LoveRepentanceJustificationThe Regenerate Man’s Free Will and His Power to Do GoodGood WorksPrayer and OathsChrist’s Church in GeneralThe Church MilitantThe Governance of the Church Militant and Ecclesiastical MinistryThe MagistrateThe Ongoing Remission of Sins in Christ’s ChurchThe State of Souls after Death and the Resurrection of the DeadThe Glorious Advent of Our Lord Jesus to Judge the Living and the DeadEternal LifeZanchi’s Own Observations on His Confession
An Appendix to Chapter Eleven
Certain Chief Articles of the Christian Faith Debated at Various Times at Heidelberg and Neustadt against Various Heresies
Bibliography
Index
About the Translator
Patrick O'Banion (PhD, Saint Louis University) is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and the author of several books, including The Sacrament of Penance and Religious Life in Golden Age Spain (2012) and Deza and Its Religion and Community in Early Modern Spain (2020). He taught history at the university level for two decades and currently works to train pastors overseas with Training Leaders International.
About the Author
Girolamo Zanchi (1516–1590) was an influential Reformed pastor and professor.
- GenresTheology
459 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2025
14 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 30, 2025
Broke: Luther
Woke: Calvin
Bespoke: Zanchi
Woke: Calvin
Bespoke: Zanchi
March 5, 2026
Confession of the Christian Religion by Girolamo Zanchi is an interesting work in which the 16th-century reformer presents his confession of the Christian faith and Reformed orthodoxy. The book moves quickly through the foundations of Christianity, addressing topics such as the infallibility of Scripture, the immutability and sovereignty of God, and many other core doctrines. Although the work appears lengthy for a confession, it is actually quite manageable; the confession itself is only about 230 pages and reads fairly quickly. Throughout the work, Zanchi clearly emphasizes a Reformed theological framework, particularly what would now be recognized as Calvinistic theology. He also gives clear attention to doctrines such as adoption, justification, sanctification, and regeneration.
Zanchi also aims to write in a clear and concise manner, attempting to make his confession accessible to readers. One particularly interesting emphasis is his discussion of the church militant—the state of believers who are still living and awaiting resurrection and eternal life. Within this section he also argues for a presbyterian form of church polity and discusses various aspects of church life, including marriage, money, church buildings, and ceremonies.
The remainder of the book is largely devoted to defending the doctrines he has already presented. While I found myself agreeing with most of his theology, with the exception of some points on church structure and paedobaptism, I did not enjoy the length of the scholastic defenses. Much of the doctrine had already been presented clearly, so the extended arguments sometimes felt unnecessarily long.
However, this lengthy defense is understandable in light of the historical context. Writing in the 16th century during the conflicts surrounding the Protestant Reformation, Zanchi was responding to numerous theological disputes and accusations of heresy. Because of this, his detailed arguments were likely intended to safeguard the doctrines he believed to be faithful to Scripture.
Overall, while I think there could be more concise forms of confessional writing, I was deeply encouraged by Zanchi’s strong theological foundation and his evident desire to understand and faithfully articulate the character of the God he loved and longed to know.
Zanchi also aims to write in a clear and concise manner, attempting to make his confession accessible to readers. One particularly interesting emphasis is his discussion of the church militant—the state of believers who are still living and awaiting resurrection and eternal life. Within this section he also argues for a presbyterian form of church polity and discusses various aspects of church life, including marriage, money, church buildings, and ceremonies.
The remainder of the book is largely devoted to defending the doctrines he has already presented. While I found myself agreeing with most of his theology, with the exception of some points on church structure and paedobaptism, I did not enjoy the length of the scholastic defenses. Much of the doctrine had already been presented clearly, so the extended arguments sometimes felt unnecessarily long.
However, this lengthy defense is understandable in light of the historical context. Writing in the 16th century during the conflicts surrounding the Protestant Reformation, Zanchi was responding to numerous theological disputes and accusations of heresy. Because of this, his detailed arguments were likely intended to safeguard the doctrines he believed to be faithful to Scripture.
Overall, while I think there could be more concise forms of confessional writing, I was deeply encouraged by Zanchi’s strong theological foundation and his evident desire to understand and faithfully articulate the character of the God he loved and longed to know.
February 11, 2026
Basically Z yapping abt Christology for 400 pages with a few other articles of doctrine interspersed 😂
Z was supposed to write this as a new confession to unite the post reformation era church but as one can tell by the page number it was (way) too long. But the book is worth reading just for his work on Christology. His discussion on the predication of attributes to the person, incommunicable attributes, and theandric (θεός + άνδρας) energies/works is a gem, would recommend 10/10 j for that.
Personally also appreciated his huge efforts to catholicity, high view of patristic interpretation, and usefulness and preservation of ceremonies and traditions in different churches. In some sense, he is more kin to the CoE in his ecclesiology and view on history.
Z was supposed to write this as a new confession to unite the post reformation era church but as one can tell by the page number it was (way) too long. But the book is worth reading just for his work on Christology. His discussion on the predication of attributes to the person, incommunicable attributes, and theandric (θεός + άνδρας) energies/works is a gem, would recommend 10/10 j for that.
Personally also appreciated his huge efforts to catholicity, high view of patristic interpretation, and usefulness and preservation of ceremonies and traditions in different churches. In some sense, he is more kin to the CoE in his ecclesiology and view on history.
November 15, 2025
Reformation Heritage Books sent me a copy of "Confession of the Christian Religion" by Girolamo Zanchi in exchange for an honest review.
This book is extremely important to anyone who wants to understand Reformation thought. In 30 chapters, Zanchi unpacks many key doctrines of the Reformed tradition, and he does so in a way that is very easy to grasp. The immediate context also shows the significance of this work. Zanchi wrote his Confession in 1585, just five years before his death and following a long career teaching and defending Reformation and Reformed theology. So this is significant to any who wish to study Zanchi because it represents his mature thought and serves as a great gateway to his other works. It's also significant for understanding what sets the Reformed tradition apart from the Lutheran tradition. Zanchi was commissioned to write the Confession as a response of all the Reformed churches to the Formula of Concord. So the book is helpful in understanding the difference between the two main Reformation traditions.
Since this is meant to be a confession, Zanchi deals concisely with each topic. And yet, this is a very robust work. It's saturated with scripture, striving to vindicate the teaching of the Reformed churches by the Word of God. Everything flows logically. He also gives great clarity and detail. His (relative) brevity doesn't come at the expense of doctrinal rigor. It is clearly recognizable as being cut from the same cloth as the later Synod of Dort and Westminster Assembly. This is one of the strengths of this work. Though it never achieved confessional status, much of its content is enshrined in the proper Reformed confessions (Three Forms of Unity and Westminster Standards). As such, this is a very helpful tool for understanding clearly the truths that the Reformed churches confess.
This is a wonderful book, and Patrick J. O'Banion deserves much praise for bringing it into English. This is a really strong contender for where to start in understanding Reformed theology.
This book is extremely important to anyone who wants to understand Reformation thought. In 30 chapters, Zanchi unpacks many key doctrines of the Reformed tradition, and he does so in a way that is very easy to grasp. The immediate context also shows the significance of this work. Zanchi wrote his Confession in 1585, just five years before his death and following a long career teaching and defending Reformation and Reformed theology. So this is significant to any who wish to study Zanchi because it represents his mature thought and serves as a great gateway to his other works. It's also significant for understanding what sets the Reformed tradition apart from the Lutheran tradition. Zanchi was commissioned to write the Confession as a response of all the Reformed churches to the Formula of Concord. So the book is helpful in understanding the difference between the two main Reformation traditions.
Since this is meant to be a confession, Zanchi deals concisely with each topic. And yet, this is a very robust work. It's saturated with scripture, striving to vindicate the teaching of the Reformed churches by the Word of God. Everything flows logically. He also gives great clarity and detail. His (relative) brevity doesn't come at the expense of doctrinal rigor. It is clearly recognizable as being cut from the same cloth as the later Synod of Dort and Westminster Assembly. This is one of the strengths of this work. Though it never achieved confessional status, much of its content is enshrined in the proper Reformed confessions (Three Forms of Unity and Westminster Standards). As such, this is a very helpful tool for understanding clearly the truths that the Reformed churches confess.
This is a wonderful book, and Patrick J. O'Banion deserves much praise for bringing it into English. This is a really strong contender for where to start in understanding Reformed theology.
October 6, 2025
Yet another wonderful primary source translation by the great folks at Reformation Heritage Books. This work was originally a confession that Zanchi was commissioned to do but was ultimately not used for its original purpose, but was still read for edification by Beza, Daneau, and others.
In style and substance, it is very similar to the Leiden Synopsis (Synopsis purioris theologiae), though this translation precedes that one by a few decades. It is a great example of late 16th c Reformed orthodox writing.
In many cases, Zanchi is similar to his other Reformed orthodox peers, though a few of the interesting (to me) positions that he takes include:
(1) His constant grounding in the conciliar catholic Christian tradition. He is at pains to show how his theology is not separatistic but deeply catholic. In this, he constantly refers positively to the creeds of the early church, and shows deep familiarity with them. He also insists on being called a Christian—not Reformed, or Calvinistic, or Zwinglian, or anything else.
(2) His view of the Roman Catholic Church. Zanchi considers them to be like OT Israel, in that they have apostatized but they remain Christ's church, especially since they have the creeds, Scripture, etc. From my reading of the era, this has to be the most sympathetic portrait of Rome I've found in a 16th c writer, which is considerable given that Zanchi is writing after Trent.
(3) His defense of episcopacy. This also distinguishes him from other writers of the era who tend toward a "consistory" model of ecclesiology. Zanchi sees the development of the episcopate as being consistent with Scripture, and specifically uses 1 Cor. 14 constantly for his ecclesiology, "let all things be done in good order." He sees bishops over dioceses fulfilling that model.
There are so many other interesting gems in this, but I'd encourage the reader to engage with Zanchi themselves. I was very edified reading him, even when I disagreed with him. I found him to be extremely even-handed and marked by Christian charity.
NB: I did not read Zanchi's comments on his confession, or the other appendices.
In style and substance, it is very similar to the Leiden Synopsis (Synopsis purioris theologiae), though this translation precedes that one by a few decades. It is a great example of late 16th c Reformed orthodox writing.
In many cases, Zanchi is similar to his other Reformed orthodox peers, though a few of the interesting (to me) positions that he takes include:
(1) His constant grounding in the conciliar catholic Christian tradition. He is at pains to show how his theology is not separatistic but deeply catholic. In this, he constantly refers positively to the creeds of the early church, and shows deep familiarity with them. He also insists on being called a Christian—not Reformed, or Calvinistic, or Zwinglian, or anything else.
(2) His view of the Roman Catholic Church. Zanchi considers them to be like OT Israel, in that they have apostatized but they remain Christ's church, especially since they have the creeds, Scripture, etc. From my reading of the era, this has to be the most sympathetic portrait of Rome I've found in a 16th c writer, which is considerable given that Zanchi is writing after Trent.
(3) His defense of episcopacy. This also distinguishes him from other writers of the era who tend toward a "consistory" model of ecclesiology. Zanchi sees the development of the episcopate as being consistent with Scripture, and specifically uses 1 Cor. 14 constantly for his ecclesiology, "let all things be done in good order." He sees bishops over dioceses fulfilling that model.
There are so many other interesting gems in this, but I'd encourage the reader to engage with Zanchi themselves. I was very edified reading him, even when I disagreed with him. I found him to be extremely even-handed and marked by Christian charity.
NB: I did not read Zanchi's comments on his confession, or the other appendices.
March 16, 2026
Great book! Highly recommend it.
Very readable and accessible.
The very last section of the book includes an extended treatment on the communicatio idiomatum, that is the doctrine of the communication of properties in the person of Christ. This section should be required reading, IMO.
Very readable and accessible.
The very last section of the book includes an extended treatment on the communicatio idiomatum, that is the doctrine of the communication of properties in the person of Christ. This section should be required reading, IMO.
August 13, 2025
This was a delight to read! The translators and editors did a fantastic job making Zanchi accessible to a new generation.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews