Religious Figures & Scholars, JAR-KEV
Discover the influential religious figures and scholars whose teachings, writings, reforms, and example have shaped belief, practice, and spiritual life across traditions.
Religious Figures & Scholars Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Jarratt, Devereux
Devereux Jarratt was an American Anglican clergyman and preacher who emulated the Methodism of John Wesley and......
Jason
Jason was a Hellenistic Jewish high priest (175–172 bce) in Jerusalem under the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes.......
Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq
Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq was the sixth imam, or spiritual successor to the Prophet Muhammad, of the Shiʿi branch of Islam......
Jefferts Schori, Katharine
Katharine Jefferts Schori is an American prelate who was the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church......
Jeffs, Warren
Warren Jeffs is the leader (2002– ) of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), a......
Jehoiachin
Jehoiachin, in the Old Testament (II Kings 24), son of King Jehoiakim and king of Judah. He came to the throne......
Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim, in the Old Testament (II Kings 23:34–24:17; Jeremiah 22:13–19; II Chronicles 36:4–8), was son of King......
Jehoram
Jehoram, one of two contemporary Old Testament kings. Jehoram, the son of Ahab and Jezebel and king (c. 849–c.......
Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat, king (c. 873–c. 849 bc) of Judah during the reigns in Israel of Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram, with whom......
Jehu
Jehu, king (c. 842–815 bc) of Israel. He was a commander of chariots for the king of Israel, Ahab, and his son......
Jellinek, Adolf
Adolf Jellinek was a rabbi and scholar who was considered to be the most forceful Jewish preacher of his time in......
Jephthah
Jephthah, a judge or regent (often a hero figure) of Israel who dominates a narrative in the Book of Judges, where......
Jeremiah
Jeremiah was a Hebrew prophet, reformer, and author of a biblical book that bears his name. He was closely involved......
Jeremias II
Jeremias II was the patriarch of Constantinople and one of the most capable leaders of the Greek Orthodox church.......
Jerome of Prague
Jerome of Prague was a Czech philosopher and theologian whose advocacy of sweeping religious reform in the Western......
Jerome, St
St. Jerome ; feast day September 30) was a biblical translator and monastic leader, traditionally regarded as the......
Jesse
Jesse, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), the father of King David. Jesse was the son of Obed and the grandson......
Jesus
Jesus was a religious leader revered in Christianity, one of the world’s major religions. He is regarded by most......
- Introduction
- Jewish Palestine, Messiah, Nazareth
- The Jewish religion in the 1st century
- Galilean, Nazarene, Messiah
- Jewish Law, Teachings, Parables
- Messiah, Scribes, Pharisees
- Apostles Creed, Early Church, Messiah
- Incarnation, Humiliation, Ministry
- Dogma, Councils, Christianity
- Messiah, Christianity, Judaism
- Christology, Modern Christianity, Debate
Jethro
Jethro, in the Old Testament, priest of Midian of the Kenite clan, with whom Moses took refuge after he killed......
Jewel, John
John Jewel was an Anglican bishop of Salisbury and controversialist who defended Queen Elizabeth I’s religious......
Jezebel
Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, who ruled the kingdom of Israel. By interfering with the exclusive worship of......
Jiménez de Cisneros, Francisco
Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros was a prelate, religious reformer, and twice regent of Spain (1506, 1516–17). In......
Jnanadeva
Jnanadeva was a mystical poet-saint of Maharashtra and composer of the Bhavarthadipika (popularly known as the......
Joachim Of Fiore
Joachim Of Fiore was an Italian mystic, theologian, biblical commentator, philosopher of history, and founder of......
Job
Job, is a biblical figure who appears most prominently as the titular character of the Book of Job in the Hebrew......
Job, Saint
Saint Job ; canonized Oct. 9, 1989) was the first Russian Orthodox patriarch of Moscow (1589–1605). Until Job’s......
Jogues, St. Isaac
St. Isaac Jogues ; canonized 1930; feast day October 19) was a French-born Jesuit priest who was martyred while......
Johanan ben Zakkai
Johanan ben Zakkai was a Jewish sage (tanna), founder of an academy and an authoritative rabbinic body located......
John
John (XXIII) was a schismatic antipope from 1410 to 1415. After receiving his doctorate of law at Bologna, Cossa......
John
John was an antipope during January 844. A Roman archdeacon well liked by the populace, John was elected by them......
John bar Qursos
John bar Qursos was a monk and bishop of Tella (near modern Aleppo, Syria), a leading theological propagator of......
John Climacus, Saint
Saint John Climacus ; feast day March 30) was a Byzantine monk and author of Climax tou paradeisou (The Ladder......
John I, Saint
Saint John I ; feast day May 18) was the pope from 523 to 526. He ended the Acacian Schism (484–519), thus reuniting......
John IV of Odzun
John IV of Odzun was an Armenian Orthodox catholicos (supreme head of the Armenian Church), a learned theologian......
John Leonardi, St
St. John Leonardi ; canonized 1938; feast day October 9) was a 16th-century Italian priest and founder of the Roman......
John Of Beverley, Saint
Saint John of Beverley was a bishop of York, and one of the most popular medieval English saints. After studies......
John of Capistrano, St
St. John of Capistrano ; canonized 1690; feast day October 23) was one of the greatest Franciscan preachers of......
John of Damascus, St
St. John of Damascus ; Eastern and Western feast day December 4) was an Eastern Christian monk and theologian whose......
John of Ephesus
John of Ephesus was a miaphysite bishop of Ephesus, who was a foremost early historian and leader of miaphysites......
John of Jerusalem
John of Jerusalem was a theologian and bishop, a strong advocate of the Platonistic Alexandrian tradition during......
John Of Kronshtadt
John Of Kronshtadt was a Russian Orthodox priest-ascetic whose pastoral and educational activities, particularly......
John Of Mirecourt
John Of Mirecourt was a French Cistercian monk, philosopher, and theologian whose skepticism about certitude in......
John of Nepomuk, St.
St. John of Nepomuk ; canonized 1729; feast day May 16) was one of the patron saints of the Czechs who was murdered......
John of Paris
John of Paris was a Dominican monk, philosopher, and theologian who advanced important ideas concerning papal authority......
John of Saint Thomas
John of Saint Thomas was a philosopher and theologian whose comprehensive commentaries on Roman Catholic doctrine......
John Of Salisbury
John Of Salisbury was one of the best Latinists of his age, who was secretary to Theobald and Thomas Becket, archbishops......
John Of Scythopolis
John Of Scythopolis was a Byzantine theologian and bishop of Scythopolis, in Palestine (c. 536–550), whose various......
John of Ávila, St
St. John of Ávila ; canonized 1970; feast day May 10) was a Roman Catholic reformer, author, and spiritual director.......
John Scholasticus
John Scholasticus was the patriarch of Constantinople (as John III), theologian, and ecclesiastical jurist whose......
John Talaia
John Talaia was a theologian and bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, whose struggle to maintain his episcopal office and......
John the Apostle, St
St. John the Apostle ; Western feast day December 27; Eastern feast days May 8 and September 26) was one of the......
John the Baptist, St.
St. John the Baptist ; feast day June 24) was a Jewish prophet of priestly origin who preached the imminence of......
John the Faster, Saint
Saint John the Faster ; feast days January 7 and August 29) was the patriarch of Constantinople (John IV) and mediator......
John X
John X was the pope from 914 to 928. He was archbishop of Ravenna (c. 905–914) when chosen to succeed Pope Lando......
John XI Becchus
John XI Becchus was a Greek Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople (1275–82) and leading Byzantine proponent of reunion......
John XVI
John XVI was an antipope from 997 to 998. A monk of Greek descent whom the Holy Roman emperor Otto II named abbot......
Jonah
Jonah was one of the 12 Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. His narrative is part of......
Jonah I
Jonah I was the archbishop of Washington and New York (2008–09), archbishop of Washington (2009–12), and metropolitan......
Jonas
Jonas was the first independent metropolitan of Moscow, elected in 1448. Until the 15th century the Orthodox Church......
Joris, David
David Joris was a religious reformer, a controversial and eccentric member of the Anabaptist movement. He founded......
Joseph
Joseph, in the Hebrew Bible, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. As Jacob’s name became synonymous......
Joseph of Arimathea, St
St. Joseph of Arimathea ; Eastern feast day July 31, Roman Catholic feast day August 31) was, according to all......
Joseph of Volokolamsk, Saint
Saint Joseph of Volokolamsk ; canonized 1578; feast day September 9) was a Russian Orthodox abbot and theologian......
Joseph, St
St. Joseph ; principal feast day March 19, Feast of St. Joseph the Worker May 1) was, in the New Testament, Jesus’......
Joshua
Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses in the Hebrew Bible. His story continues the narrative......
Josiah
Josiah was the king of Judah (c. 640–609 bce), who set in motion a reformation that bears his name and that left......
Juan José Gerardi Conedera
Juan José Gerardi Conedera was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and human rights activist. Gerardi was known......
Jud, Leo
Leo Jud was a Swiss religious Reformer, biblical scholar, and translator and an associate of Huldrych Zwingli and......
Judah ha-Nasi
Judah ha-Nasi was one of the last of the tannaim, the small group of Palestinian masters of the Jewish Oral Law,......
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was one of the Twelve Apostles, notorious for betraying Jesus. Judas’s surname is more probably......
Jude, St
St. Jude ; Western feast day October 28, Eastern feast days June 19 and August 21) was one of the original Twelve......
Judge, Mychal
Mychal Judge was an American Roman Catholic priest, Franciscan friar, and New York City Fire Department chaplain......
Judson, Adoniram
Adoniram Judson was an American linguist and Baptist missionary in Myanmar (Burma), who translated the Bible into......
Julian
Julian was a Roman emperor from ad 361 to 363, nephew of Constantine the Great, and a noted scholar and military......
Julian Of Eclanum
Julian Of Eclanum was the bishop of Eclanum who is considered to be the most intellectual leader of the Pelagians......
Julius I, Saint
Saint Julius I ; feast day April 12) was the pope from 337 to 352. The papacy had been vacant four months when......
Jurjānī, al-
al-Jurjānī was a leading traditionalist theologian of 15th-century Iran. Jurjānī received a varied education, first......
Justin I
Justin I was a Byzantine emperor (from 518) who was a champion of Christian orthodoxy; he was the uncle and predecessor......
Justin Martyr, St.
St. Justin Martyr ; feast day June 1) was one of the most important of the Greek philosopher-Apologists in the......
Justinian
Justinian was the patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (1948–77) who helped his church become one of the strongest......
Justinian I
Justinian I was a Byzantine emperor (527–565), noted for his administrative reorganization of the imperial government......
Justus, Saint
Saint Justus ; feast day November 10) was the first bishop of Rochester and fourth archbishop of Canterbury, under......
Juvenal, Saint
Saint Juvenal ; feast day July 2) was the bishop of Jerusalem from 422 to 458 who elevated the see of Jerusalem—previously......
Juxon, William
William Juxon was the archbishop of Canterbury and minister to King Charles I on the scaffold. As lord high treasurer,......
Jābir ibn Ḥayyān, Abū Mūsā
Abū Mūsā Jābir ibn Ḥayyān was a Muslim alchemist known as the father of Arabic chemistry. He systematized a “quantitative”......
Kagame, Alexis
Alexis Kagame was a Rwandan poet, historian, and Roman Catholic priest, who introduced the written art, both in......
Kahane, Meir
Meir Kahane was an American-born Israeli political extremist and rabbi who campaigned for self-protection of Jews.......
Kaplan, Mordecai Menahem
Mordecai Menahem Kaplan was an American rabbi, educator, theologian, and religious leader who founded the influential......
Kapleau, Philip
Philip Kapleau was an American religious leader, a leading popularizer of Zen Buddhism in the United States and......
Karlstadt, Andreas
Andreas Karlstadt was a German theologian and early supporter of Martin Luther who later dissented from Lutheran......
Karo, Joseph ben Ephraim
Joseph ben Ephraim Karo was a Spanish-born Jewish author of the last great codification of Jewish law, the Bet......
Kartēr
Kartēr was an influential high priest of Zoroastrianism, whose aim was to purge Iran of all other religions, especially......
Keble, John
John Keble was an Anglican priest, theologian, and poet who originated and helped lead the Oxford Movement (q.v.),......
Keizan Jōkin
Keizan Jōkin was a priest of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism, who founded the Sōji Temple (now in Yokohama), one......
Kempe, John
John Kempe was an English ecclesiastical statesman who was prominent in the party struggles of the reign of King......
Ken, Thomas
Thomas Ken was an Anglican bishop, hymn writer, royal chaplain to Charles II of England, and one of seven bishops......
Kenneth, Saint
Saint Kenneth ; feast day October 11) was an Irish abbot, monastic founder, and missionary who contributed to the......
Kentigern, Saint
Saint Kentigern ; feast day January 14) was an abbot and early Christian missionary, traditionally the first bishop......
Ketteler, Wilhelm Emmanuel, Baron von
Wilhelm Emmanuel, baron von Ketteler was a social reformer who was considered by some to have been Germany’s outstanding......
Kevin, Saint
Saint Kevin ; feast day June 3) was one of the patron saints of Dublin and the founder of the monastery of Glendalough.......