For German reformer, Katharina Schütz Zell (1498-1562), being rooted and grounded in love was not a passive spiritual posture—it was the dynamic foundation from which she challenged ecclesial norms and embodied a radical vision of Christian discipleship. Her life and ministry offer a compelling example of how deep spiritual grounding can lead to courageous action, even when that action defies tradition.
From an early age, Schütz Zell was steeped in Scripture and animated by a love that refused silence in the face of injustice. Her first act of public defiance came through her marriage to Matthew Zell (1479–1548), Strasbourg’s leading preacher of Protestant “heresy.” Far from being a mere supporter, Katharina was Matthew’s ministry partner—an identity she embraced with biblical conviction, drawing inspiration from figures like Judith, Esther, the Queen of Sheba, Mary, and Elizabeth.[1]
In 1524, she published her Apologia for Master Matthew Zell to the Bishop of Strasbourg, defending her husband and the legitimacy of clerical marriage. In doing so, she openly criticized the Catholic Church’s teaching on the superior holiness of celibacy. Her boldness in speaking out—especially as a woman—was deeply controversial.
Schütz Zell’s writings, including A Letter to the Suffering Women of the Community of Kenzingen, gained wide readership but provoked the ire of Strasbourg’s city council, which banned her from publishing further polemical works. Undeterred, Schütz Zell continued her ministry through pastoral care, correspondence, and theological reflection. She became known by many titles: wedded companion, assistant minister, mother of the afflicted, church mother, and even fisher of people. Admirers likened her to the biblical Anna, while detractors mockingly called her “Doctor Katharina.” [2]
Schütz Zell’s theological convictions extended to worship practices. She supported her husband and other reformers in opposing Latin liturgical songs that, in their view, contradicted Paul’s teachings on intelligibility in worship (1 Corinthians 14:20–28).[3] She also championed congregational singing—by both men and women—as a visible and audible witness to the priesthood of all believers. In doing so, she directly challenged the traditional interpretation of Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 14:34–35, which had often been used to prohibit women not only from preaching but even from singing in public worship.
In 1535–36, Schütz Zell published a series of four affordable booklets titled Some Christian and Comforting Songs of Praise About Jesus Christ Our Savior, based on Michael Weisse’s German translation of a Czech hymnal used by the Bohemian Brethren.[4] These songs reflected her commitment to accessible, participatory worship and her belief that music could be a theological and pastoral tool.
Perhaps most strikingly, Schütz Zell defied tradition again in 1548 when she preached at her husband’s graveside. She justified her action by invoking Mary Magdalene, the first witness to the resurrection:
But it is only as the dear Mary Magdalene without any prior thought became an apostle and was charged by the Lord Himself to tell His disciples that the Christ was risen... So I also now speak, without any prior intention... my heart and mouth have opened to all of you and I cannot restrain myself.[5]
Schütz Zell’s sense of call did not wane with age. In 1562, she officiated the funeral of two sisters whom Strasbourg’s pastors refused to bury due to their association with Casper Schwenckfeld, a controversial reformer. This ecumenical act reflected her enduring commitment to the priesthood of all believers and her belief that love must transcend doctrinal boundaries.
In a 1553 letter to Schwenckfeld, she articulated her theological maturity and readiness to speak truth, even when tradition demanded silence:
I also am no longer a young schoolchild who is still drinking milk... I ought now to be a Master... I have exercised myself in the Holy Scriptures and godly matters for more than forty-eight years... I could now teach others and with the elderly Anna prophesy about Christ... But... I must appropriately be submissive under the man’s office... I seek to hear others and be exhorted as far as they speak the truth! But where that is not so, then I would tell you and not keep silent.[6]
Katharina Schütz Zell’s life was a testament to the transformative power of being rooted and grounded in Christ’s love. Her deep engagement with Scripture and her unwavering commitment to truth and compassion empowered her to challenge ecclesial norms—not out of rebellion, but out of fidelity to Christ. She reminds us that love is not merely a feeling or a virtue—it is a calling. And sometimes, that calling leads us to speak, to act, and to defy tradition for the sake of the Gospel.
[1] Elsie Anne McKee, Katharina Schütz Zell, Vol. 1: The Life and Thought of a Sixteenth-Century Reformer. Vol 2. The Writings: A Critical Edition (Leiden: Brill, 1999). For Schütz Zell writings, see Katharina Zell, Church Mother: The Writings of a Protestant Reformer in Sixteenth-Century Germany. Translated and edited by Elsie Anne McKee. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006).
[2] Zell and McKee, Church Mother, 1, 16, 19, 61, 106, 191, 192, 196n38, 197, 203n54, 219, 221, 224–28; 224–25, 226, 226n90, 226.
[3] Zell and McKee, Church Mother, 176.
[4] Zell and McKee, Church Mother, 82–96.
[5] Zell and McKee, Church Mother, 104.
[6] Zell and McKee, Church Mother, 196–197.
