Religious Figures & Scholars, CAT-CUN
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
Catherine of Alexandria, St
St. Catherine of Alexandria ; feast day November 25) was one of the most popular early Christian martyrs and one......
Catherine of Bologna, Saint
Saint Catherine of Bologna ; canonized 1712; feast day May 9) was an Italian mystic and writer whose spiritual......
Catherine of Siena, St
St. Catherine of Siena ; canonized 1461; feast day April 29) was an Italian mystic and Dominican tertiary who is......
Catherine of Sweden, Saint
Saint Catherine of Sweden ; feast day March 24) was the daughter of St. Bridget of Sweden, whom she succeeded as......
Cavalier, Jean
Jean Cavalier was the leader of the French Huguenot insurgents known as the Camisards from 1702 to 1704. The son......
Cecilia, St
St. Cecilia ; feast day November 22) was one of the most famous virgin martyrs of the early Christian church and......
Celestine I, Saint
Saint Celestine I ; feast day July 27, Irish feast day April 6) was the pope from 422 to 432. He was a Roman deacon......
Celestius
Celestius was one of the first and probably the most outstanding of the disciples of the British theologian Pelagius......
Ceolnoth
Ceolnoth was the 17th archbishop of Canterbury, who played a conciliatory role during the invasions of England......
Cerinthus
Cerinthus was a Christian heretic whose errors, according to the theologian Irenaeus, led the apostle John to write......
Chad, Saint
Saint Chad ; feast day, March 2) was a monastic founder, abbot, and first bishop of Lichfield, who is credited......
Chajang Yulsa
Chajang Yulsa was a Buddhist monk who attempted to make Buddhism the Korean state religion. Chajang entered the......
Chalmers, James
James Chalmers was a Scottish Congregationalist missionary who explored the southwest Pacific, where he became......
Chalmers, Thomas
Thomas Chalmers was a Presbyterian minister, theologian, author, and social reformer who was the first moderator......
Chandidas
Chandidas was a poet whose love songs addressed to the washerwoman Rami were popular in the medieval period and......
Charles, Thomas
Thomas Charles was a Welsh religious leader, a founder of Calvinistic Methodism in Wales and an inspirer of missionary......
Charron, Pierre
Pierre Charron was a French Roman Catholic theologian and major contributor to the new thought of the 17th century.......
Chase, Philander
Philander Chase was a U.S. clergyman and bishop in the Protestant Episcopal Church, educator, and founder of Kenyon......
Chauncy, Charles
Charles Chauncy was an American clergyman and the second president of Harvard College, described by Cotton Mather......
Chauncy, Charles
Charles Chauncy was a great-grandson of the elder Charles Chauncy. He was a Congregationalist minister and one......
Chemnitz, Martin
Martin Chemnitz was a leading German theologian who was known, with reference to Martin Luther, as “the second......
Cheney, Charles Edward
Charles Edward Cheney was a controversial American clergyman who helped found the Reformed Episcopal Church. Cheney......
Chesterton, G.K.
G.K. Chesterton was an English critic and author of verse, essays, novels, and short stories, known also for his......
Chevalier, Jules
Jules Chevalier was a priest, author, and founder of the Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis Jesu (Missionaries of......
Cheverus, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de
Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus was the first Roman Catholic bishop of Boston. He was made assistant, then pastor,......
Chi-tsang
Chi-tsang was a Chinese Buddhist monk who systematized the teachings of the San-lun (“Three Treatises,” or Middle......
Chilembwe, John
John Chilembwe was a Western-educated Nyasaland missionary who led an abortive, largely symbolic, uprising against......
Cho, David Yonggi
David Yonggi Cho was a Korean religious leader and Christian evangelist who cofounded the Yoido Full Gospel Church......
Choniates, Michael
Michael Choniates was a Byzantine humanist scholar and archbishop of Athens whose extensive Classical literary......
Christodoulos
Christodoulos was the archbishop of Athens and All Greece and head of the Orthodox Church of Greece (1998–2008),......
Christopher
Christopher was an antipope from 903 to 904. Once a cardinal, he appears in many lists of the popes (including......
Christopher, St
St. Christopher ; Western feast day July 25; Eastern feast day May 9) is a legendary martyr of the early Christian......
Chrysostom, St. John
St. John Chrysostom ; Western feast day September 13; Eastern feast day November 13) was an early Church Father,......
Chu Ki-Chol
Chu Ki-Chol was a Korean Presbyterian minister who suffered martyrdom because of his opposition to Japanese demands......
Chubb, Thomas
Thomas Chubb was a self-taught English philosopher and proponent of Deism, regarded by Voltaire as one of the most......
Chŏng Yak-jong, Saint
Saint Chŏng Yak-jong ; canonized 1984) was one of the most eminent leaders in the early propagation of Roman Catholicism......
Ch’ang-ch’un
Ch’ang-ch’un was a Taoist monk and alchemist who journeyed from China across the heartland of Asia to visit Genghis......
Ciaran of Clonmacnoise, Saint
Saint Ciaran of Clonmacnoise ; feast day September 9) was an abbot who was one of the most illustrious founders......
Clare of Assisi, St
St. Clare of Assisi ; canonized 1255; feast day August 11) was an abbess and founder of the Poor Clares (Clarissines),......
Clarke, James Freeman
James Freeman Clarke was a Unitarian minister, theologian, and author whose influence helped elect Grover Cleveland......
Clarke, Mary Frances
Mary Frances Clarke was an Irish-born religious leader and educator, a founder of the Sisters of Charity of the......
Clarke, Samuel
Samuel Clarke was a theologian, philosopher, and exponent of Newtonian physics, remembered for his influence on......
Clauberg, Johann
Johann Clauberg was a philosopher and theologian who became the foremost German proponent of the thought of the......
Clement
Clement (VIII) was an antipope from 1423 to 1429. Sánchez was chosen to succeed Antipope Benedict XIII. Refusing......
Clement
Clement (III) was an antipope from 1080 to 1100. Of noble birth, Guibert served at the German court (c. 1054–55)......
Clement
Clement (VII) was the first antipope (1378–94) of the Western (Great) Schism that troubled the Roman Catholic church......
Clement I, St
St. Clement I ; feast day November 23) was the fourth pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 88 to......
Clement of Alexandria, St.
St. Clement of Alexandria ; Western feast day November 23; Eastern feast day November 24) was a Christian Apologist,......
Clitherow, St. Margaret
St. Margaret Clitherow ; canonized 1970; feast days March 25 and October 25) was one of the Forty Martyrs of England......
Clovio, Giulio
Giulio Clovio was an Italian miniature painter and priest. Clovio is said to have studied at Rome under Giulio......
Cocceius, Johannes
Johannes Cocceius was a Dutch theologian of the Reformed Church, biblical scholar, prolific writer, and a leading......
Cochlaeus, Johannes
Johannes Cochlaeus was a German Humanist and a leading Roman Catholic opponent of Martin Luther. Educated at the......
Codrington, R.H.
R.H. Codrington was an Anglican priest and early anthropologist who made the first systematic study of Melanesian......
Coffin, Henry Sloane
Henry Sloane Coffin was an American clergyman, author, and educator who led in the movement for liberal evangelicalism......
Coggan, Donald, Baron
Donald, Baron Coggan was an Anglican archbishop of Canterbury from 1974 to 1980, theologian, educator, and the......
Coindre, André
André Coindre was the founder of the Fratres a Sacratissimo Corde Iesu (Brothers of the Sacred Heart), a Roman......
Coke, Thomas
Thomas Coke was an English clergyman, the first bishop of the Methodist Church, founder of its missions, and friend......
Colenso, John
John Colenso was a controversial liberal Anglican bishop of Natal. He made numerous converts among the Zulus, who......
Colette, St
St. Colette ; canonized 1807; feast day March 6) was a Franciscan abbess, reformer of the Poor Clares and founder......
Collier, Arthur
Arthur Collier was an idealist philosopher and theologian remembered for his concept of human knowledge. Collier......
Collier, Jeremy
Jeremy Collier was an English bishop and leader of the Nonjurors (clergy who refused to take the oaths of allegiance......
Collins, Anthony
Anthony Collins was a prolific and provocative English Deist and freethinker and friend of the philosopher John......
Colman Of Lindisfarne, Saint
Saint Colman of Lindisfarne ; feast day, Scottish diocese of Argyll and the Isles February 18, elsewhere August......
Columba, St
St. Columba ; feast day June 9) is an Irish saint who is credited with having had a main role in the conversion......
Columban, St
St. Columban ; feast day November 23) was an Irish Christian abbot and writer and one of the greatest missionaries......
Commodianus
Commodianus was a Christian Latin poet, perhaps of African origin. His Carmen apologeticum (“Song with Narrative”)......
Congar, Yves
Yves Congar was a French Dominican priest and cardinal who was widely recognized in his lifetime as one of the......
Connelly, Cornelia
Cornelia Connelly was a Roman Catholic abbess who founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and became the subject......
Consalvi, Ercole
Ercole Consalvi was an Italian cardinal and statesman, who played the leading role in Vatican politics during the......
Constant, Benjamin
Benjamin Constant was a Franco-Swiss novelist and political writer, the author of Adolphe, a forerunner of the......
Constantine
Constantine (II) was an antipope from 767 to 768. He was a soldier and—through the support of his brother Toto,......
Constantine I
Constantine I was the first Roman emperor to profess Christianity. He not only initiated the evolution of the empire......
Constantine-Silvanus
Constantine-Silvanus was the probable founder of the Middle Eastern sect of Paulicians, a group of Christian dualists.......
Contarini, Gasparo
Gasparo Contarini was a Venetian Humanist scholar, theologian, diplomat, and Roman Catholic cardinal (1535–42).......
Cooper, John M.
John M. Cooper was a U.S. Roman Catholic priest, ethnologist, and sociologist, who specialized in studies of the......
Copeland, Kenneth
Kenneth Copeland is an American televangelist and member of the Word of Faith prosperity gospel movement that teaches......
Corbeil, William of
William of Corbeil was the archbishop of Canterbury from 1123 to 1136. Educated at Laon, he entered the order of......
Corbet, Richard
Richard Corbet was a bishop of Oxford and Norwich and one of the most fashionable minor Caroline poets. His memory......
Cordovero, Moses ben Jacob
Moses ben Jacob Cordovero was a Galilean rabbi who organized and codified the Zoharistic Kabbala. He was the teacher......
Cornaro, Elena
Elena Cornaro was an Italian savant who was the first woman to receive a degree from a university. Cornaro’s father,......
Cornelius, St.
St. Cornelius ; feast day September 16) was the pope from 251 to 253. Cornelius was a Roman priest who was elected......
Cosin, John
John Cosin was an Anglican bishop of Durham, theologian, and liturgist whose scholarly promotion of traditional......
Cosmas and Damian, Saints
Saints Cosmas and Damian were martyrs and patron saints of physicians. They were brothers, perhaps twins, but little......
Coughlin, Charles E.
Charles E. Coughlin was a U.S. Roman Catholic “radio priest” who in the 1930s developed one of the first deeply......
Court, Antoine
Antoine Court was a minister and itinerant preacher in the Reformed church who restored Protestantism to France......
Courtenay, William
William Courtenay was the archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the English church and moderating influence in the......
Coverdale, Miles
Miles Coverdale was the bishop of Exeter, Eng., who translated (rather freely; he was inexpert in Latin and Greek)......
Cox, Richard
Richard Cox was an Anglican bishop of Ely and a leading advocate in England of the Protestant Reformation. Appointed......
Cranmer, Thomas
Thomas Cranmer was the first Protestant archbishop of Canterbury (1533–56), adviser to the English kings Henry......
Crescas, Ḥasdai ben Abraham
Ḥasdai ben Abraham Crescas was a Spanish philosopher, Talmudic scholar, and critic of the Aristotelian rationalist......
Crispin and Crispinian, Saints
Saints Crispin and Crispinian, (both b. traditionally Rome—d. c. 286, possibly Soissons, Fr.; feast day October......
Cristea, Miron
Miron Cristea was the first patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who worked for unity in church and state.......
Crossan, John Dominic
John Dominic Crossan is an Irish-born American theologian and former Roman Catholic priest best known for his association......
Crousaz, Jean-Pierre de
Jean-Pierre de Crousaz was a Swiss theologian, philosopher, and controversialist whose greatest importance lies......
Crowther, Samuel
Samuel Crowther was the first Black African to be ordained as an Anglican bishop. He was consecrated by the Church......
Crummell, Alexander
Alexander Crummell was an American scholar and Episcopalian minister, founder of the American Negro Academy (1897),......
Cudworth, Ralph
Ralph Cudworth was an English theologian and philosopher of ethics who became the leading systematic exponent of......
Cullen, Paul
Paul Cullen was an Irish prelate who was the archbishop of Armagh (1850–52) and Dublin (1852–78) and became the......
Cummins, George David
George David Cummins was a dissident American clergyman who founded and became the first bishop of the Reformed......
Cunibert, Saint
Saint Cunibert ; feast day November 12) was a prelate, bishop of Cologne and chief minister of King Sigebert III......