Religious Figures & Scholars, SAB-SOT
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
Sabatier, Auguste
Auguste Sabatier was a French Protestant theologian and educator who helped popularize biblical interpretation......
Sabzevārī, ʿAbd al-Aʿlā al-Mūsawī al-
ʿAbd al-Aʿlā al-Mūsawī al-Sabzevārī was an Iranian-born cleric who, from 1992 to 1993, was the grand ayatollah......
Sacheverell, Henry
Henry Sacheverell was an English preacher, an assertively narrow-minded supporter of the Anglican state whose impeachment......
Sacks, Jonathan
Jonathan Sacks was an English rabbi, educator, and author who served as chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations......
Saichō
Saichō was a monk who established the Tendai sect of Buddhism in Japan. A priest at the age of 13, Saichō was sent......
Saisset, Bernard
Bernard Saisset was the first bishop of Pamiers (in present-day Ariège département, southern France), an aggressive......
Saker, Alfred
Alfred Saker was a missionary who established the first British mission in the Cameroons and who was, in the opinion......
Salmān al-Fārisī
Salmān al-Fārisī was a popular figure in Muslim legend and a national hero of Iran. He was a companion of the Prophet......
Samson
Samson, legendary Israelite warrior and judge, or divinely inspired leader, renowned for the prodigious strength......
Samuel
Samuel was a religious hero in the history of Israel, represented in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) in every......
Sanchuniathon
Sanchuniathon was an ancient Phoenician writer. All information about him is derived from the works of Philo of......
Sancroft, William
William Sancroft was the archbishop of Canterbury, leader of a group of seven bishops who were imprisoned for opposing......
Sandeman, Robert
Robert Sandeman was a British cleric and leader of the Glasite (later called Sandemanian) sect, dissenters from......
Sanūsī, al-
al-Sanūsī was a North African Islamic theologian who founded a reformist Sufi movement, the Sanūsiyyah, which helped......
Sarah
Sarah, in the Hebrew Bible, wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. Sarah was childless until she was 90 years old.......
Sarapion, Saint
Saint Sarapion ; feast day March 21; Coptic church March 7) was an Egyptian monk, theologian, and bishop of Thmuis,......
Sarpi, Paolo
Paolo Sarpi was an Italian patriot, scholar, and state theologian during Venice’s struggle with Pope Paul V. Between......
Savonarola, Girolamo
Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Christian preacher, reformer, and martyr, renowned for his clash with tyrannical......
Saʿadia ben Joseph
Saʿadia ben Joseph was a Jewish exegete, philosopher, and polemicist whose influence on Jewish literary and communal......
Schaff, Philip
Philip Schaff was a Swiss-born American ecumenical leader and theologian whose works, especially the Creeds of......
Schiess, Betty Bone
Betty Bone Schiess was an American Episcopal priest who was at the forefront of the movement that led the church......
Schiner, Matthäus
Matthäus Schiner was a Swiss prelate, papal diplomat, and intimate counsellor of the Holy Roman emperor Charles......
Schleiermacher, Friedrich
Friedrich Schleiermacher was a German theologian, preacher, and classical philologist, generally recognized as......
Schmucker, S.S.
S.S. Schmucker was a theologian and educator who was a principal exponent of the American Lutheran movement, which......
Schrieck, Sister Louise Van der
Sister Louise Van der Schrieck was a Roman Catholic leader under whom the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and their......
Schweitzer, Albert
Albert Schweitzer was an Alsatian-German theologian, philosopher, organist, and mission doctor in equatorial Africa,......
Schwenckfeld, Kaspar
Kaspar Schwenckfeld von Ossig was a German theologian, writer, and preacher who led the Protestant Reformation......
Schönborn, Friedrich Karl, Graf von
Friedrich Karl, Graf (count) von Schönborn was a prince-prelate, bishop of Bamberg and Würzburg (1729–46). His......
Seabury, Samuel
Samuel Seabury was the first bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. Seabury was educated......
Sebastian, St
St. Sebastian ; feast day January 20) was an early Christian saint popularized by Renaissance painters and believed......
Sedulius Scottus
Sedulius Scottus was a poet and scholar who was part of a group of Irish savants at Liège. His poems, mostly in......
Seghers, Charles Jean
Charles Jean Seghers was a Roman Catholic missionary whose work in northwestern North America earned him the title......
Selwyn, George Augustus
George Augustus Selwyn was the first Anglican bishop of New Zealand. Selwyn was educated at Eton and St. John’s......
Semler, Johann Salomo
Johann Salomo Semler was a German Lutheran theologian who was a major figure in the development of biblical textual......
Sennacherib
Sennacherib was the king of Assyria (705/704–681 bce), son of Sargon II. He made Nineveh his capital, building......
Seper, Franjo
Franjo Seper was a Croatian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who was prefect of the Sacred Congregation for......
Seraphim of Sarov, Saint
Saint Seraphim of Sarov ; canonized 1903; feast day January 2) was a Russian monk and mystic whose ascetic practice......
Sergeant, John
John Sergeant was an English Roman Catholic priest, notable for his criticisms of several of the leading thinkers......
Sergius
Sergius was a theologian and patriarch of Moscow and the Russian Orthodox church who, by his leadership in rallying......
Sergius and Bacchus, Saints
Saints Sergius and Bacchus ; feast day October 7) were among the earliest authenticated and most celebrated Christian......
Sergius I
Sergius I was a Greek Orthodox theologian and patriarch of Constantinople (610–638), one of the most forceful and......
Sergius II
Sergius II was the patriarch of Constantinople (1001–19) who claimed the title of “ecumenical patriarch” against......
Serra, St. Junípero
St. Junípero Serra ; canonized September 23, 2015; feast day August 28 [July 1 in the U.S.]) was a Spanish Franciscan......
Servetus, Michael
Michael Servetus was a Spanish physician and theologian whose unorthodox teachings led to his condemnation as a......
Sesshū
Sesshū was an artist of the Muromachi period, one of the greatest masters of the Japanese art of sumi-e, or monochrome......
Seton, St. Elizabeth Ann
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton ; canonized September 14, 1975; feast day January 4) was the first native-born American......
Severian Of Gabala
Severian Of Gabala was a bishop of Gabala (now Latakia, Syria), theologian and orator, principal opponent of the......
Severus of Antioch
Severus of Antioch was a Greek Christian monk-theologian, patriarch of Antioch, and miaphysite leader during the......
Shabbetai Tzevi
Shabbetai Tzevi was a false messiah who developed a mass following and threatened rabbinical authority in Europe......
Shalmaneser V
Shalmaneser V was the king of Assyria (reigned 726–721 bc) who subjugated ancient Israel and undertook a punitive......
Shammai ha-Zaken
Shammai ha-Zaken (“the Elder”) was one of the leading Jewish sages of Palestine in his time. With the sage Hillel,......
Shankara
Shankara was a philosopher and theologian, most renowned exponent of the Advaita Vedanta school of philosophy,......
Shariat-Madari, Mohammad Kazem
Mohammad Kazem Shariat-Madari was an Iranian cleric who, as one of five Shīʿite grand ayatollahs, was the leading......
Shariputra
Shariputra, was a Brahman ascetic and famous early disciple of the Buddha. Shariputra first heard of the Buddha......
Shaʿrānī, ash-
ash-Shaʿrānī was an Egyptian scholar and mystic who founded an Islamic order of Ṣūfism. Throughout his life Shaʿrānī......
Sheba, Queen of
Queen of Sheba was, according to Jewish and Islamic traditions, the ruler of the kingdom of Sabaʾ (or Sheba) in......
Sheen, Fulton J.
Fulton J. Sheen ; beatified September 24, 2026) was an American religious leader, evangelist, writer, Roman Catholic......
Shenouda III
Shenouda III was the 117th pope of Alexandria and patriarch of the see of St. Mark. As the leader of the Coptic......
Shenute
Shenute was a monastic reformer, abbot of the White Monastery, near Atripe in Upper Egypt, who is regarded as a......
Sheshonk I
Sheshonk I was the first king (c. 943–c. 923 bce) of the 22nd dynasty of ancient Egypt (see ancient Egypt: the......
Shimon bar Yochai
Shimon bar Yochai was a Galilean tanna (i.e., one of a select group of Palestinian rabbinic teachers), one of the......
Shiva Dayal Saheb
Shiva Dayal Saheb was the founder of the esoteric Hindu and Sikh sect Radha Soami Satsang. He was born into a devout......
Shuttlesworth, Fred
Fred Shuttlesworth was an American minister and civil rights activist who established, with Martin Luther King,......
Shādhilī, al-
al-Shādhilī was a Sufi Muslim theologian who was the founder of the order of the Shādhilīyah. The details of al-Shādhilī’s......
Shāmil
Shāmil was the leader of Muslim Dagestan and Chechen mountaineers, whose fierce resistance delayed Russia’s conquest......
Siegel, Seymour
Seymour Siegel was an American theologian who helped shape contemporary Conservative Jewish theology and who, with......
Silas, St.
St. Silas ; Western feast day July 13, Eastern feast day July 30) was an early Christian prophet and missionary,......
Sima Chengzhen
Sima Chengzhen was the sixth patriarch of the Shangqing school of Daoism, who had many associations with famous......
Simeon Stylites, St
St. Simeon Stylites ; Western feast day January 5; Eastern feast day September 1) was a Syrian Christian hermit......
Simeon, Charles
Charles Simeon was an Anglican clergyman and biblical commentator who led the Evangelical (or Low Church) movement,......
Simon Magus
Simon Magus was a practitioner of magical arts who probably came from Gitta, a village in biblical Samaria. Simon,......
Simon Of Sudbury
Simon Of Sudbury was the archbishop of Canterbury from 1375 and chancellor of England from 1380 who lost his life......
Simon the Apostle, St
St. Simon the Apostle ; Western feast day October 28, Eastern feast day June 19) was one of the Twelve Apostles......
Simplicius, Saint
Saint Simplicius ; feast day March 10) was pope from 468 to 483. He became Pope St. Hilary’s successor on March......
Simpson, Matthew
Matthew Simpson was the best known and most influential Methodist leader in the United States during the second......
Siricius, Saint
Saint Siricius ; feast day November 26) was the pope from 384 to 399. Ordained a deacon by Pope Liberius, he was......
Sistani, Ali al-
Ali al-Sistani is an Iranian-born Shiʿi cleric and a leader of the Iraqi Shiʿi community. Born to a prominent religious......
Sixtus I, St.
St. Sixtus I ; feast day April 3) was the pope from approximately 115 to about 125. He succeeded St. Alexander......
Sixtus II, St.
St. Sixtus II ; feast day August 7) was the pope from 257 to 258, and is one of the early Roman church’s most venerated......
Sixtus III, Saint
Saint Sixtus III ; feast day March 28) was the pope from 432 to 440. A chief Roman priest when he succeeded Pope......
Skarga, Piotr
Piotr Skarga was a militant Jesuit preacher and writer, the first Polish representative of the Counter-Reformation.......
Smet, Pierre-Jean de
Pierre-Jean de Smet was a Belgian-born Jesuit missionary whose pioneering efforts to Christianize and pacify Indian......
Smith, Amanda
Amanda Smith was an American evangelist and missionary who opened an orphanage for African-American girls. Born......
Smith, Hannah Whitall
Hannah Whitall Smith was an American evangelist and reformer, a major public speaker and writer in the Holiness......
Smith, Joseph
Joseph Smith was an American prophet and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Smith came......
Smith, Joseph F
Joseph F. Smith was an American religious leader, the sixth president (1901–18) of the Church of Jesus Christ of......
Smith, Joseph, III
Joseph Smith, III was an American religious leader, first president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of......
Smith, Sir George Adam
Sir George Adam Smith was a Scottish preacher and Semitic scholar who helped to make generally acceptable the higher......
Smith, W. Wallace
W. Wallace Smith was an American religious leader who was president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of......
Smith, William Robertson
William Robertson Smith was a Scottish Semitic scholar, encyclopaedist, and student of comparative religion and......
Smohalla
Smohalla was a North American Indian prophet, preacher, and teacher, one of a series of such leaders who arose......
Smyth, John
John Smyth was an English religious libertarian and Nonconformist minister, called “the Se-baptist” (self-baptizer),......
Snow, Lorenzo
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president (1898–1901) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).......
Socinus, Faustus
Faustus Socinus was an Italian theologian whose anti-Trinitarian theology was later influential in the development......
Socinus, Laelius
Laelius Socinus was an Italian theologian whose anti-Trinitarian views were developed into the doctrine of Socinianism......
Socrates
Socrates was a Byzantine church historian whose annotated chronicle, Historia ecclesiastica (“Ecclesiastical History”),......
Solomon
Solomon was a biblical Israelite king who built the first Temple of Jerusalem and who is revered in Judaism and......
Sophronius
Sophronius was the patriarch of Jerusalem, monk, and theologian who was the chief protagonist for orthodox teaching......
Sorbon, Robert de
Robert de Sorbon was a French theologian, confessor to King Louis IX, and founder of the Sorbonne, a collegiate......
Soter, St.
St. Soter ; feast day April 22) was the pope from about 166 to about 175. Succeeding St. Anicetus as pope, Soter......