Martin Bucer (1491-1551) was a German Protestant reformer. Bucer entered the Dominican order in 1506. He was sent to Heidelberg for further study where he became acquainted with the works of Erasmus and was present at a debate between Luther and a group of Catholic theologians. His friendship via correspondence with Luther and his study of the Bible led to his conversion to the Protestant faith. He abandoned his order in 1521 and soon afterward married a former nun. In 1523 he accepted a pastoral position in Strasbourg where he remained for 25 years. He was a brilliant organizer and set up charitable organizations, established a school and seminary, wrote liturgies and hymns, and served as a mediator between Lutheran and Calvinist groups. His opposition to an effort to unite Catholics and Protestants placed his life in danger and he fled to England at the invitation of Thomas Cranmer. Here, in 1549, he was appointed professor of divinity at Cambridge where he wrote and taught until his death. His fervor in maintaining that an insurmountable gulf exists between Protestant and Roman Catholic theology reinforced the convictions of many other Reformers.
