Religious Figures & Scholars, ELI-FOR
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
Elijah ben Solomon
Elijah ben Solomon was the gaon (“excellency”) of Vilna and the outstanding authority in Jewish religious and cultural......
Eliot, John
John Eliot was a Puritan missionary to the Native Americans of Massachusetts Bay Colony whose translation of the......
Eliphaz The Temanite
Eliphaz The Temanite, in the Old Testament Book of Job (chapters 4, 5, 15, 22), one of three friends who sought......
Elisha
Elisha, in the Old Testament, Israelite prophet, the pupil of Elijah, and also his successor (c. 851 bc). He instigated......
Elisha ben Abuyah
Elisha ben Abuyah was a Jewish scholar who renounced his faith and who came to be regarded in later ages as a prototype......
Ellacuría, Ignacio
Ignacio Ellacuría was a Spanish-born El Salvadoran Jesuit priest, academic, philosopher, theologian, and human......
Ellul, Jacques
Jacques Ellul was a French political and social scientist, Protestant theologian, and philosopher of technology,......
Elphinstone, William
William Elphinstone was a Scottish bishop and statesman, and the founder of the University of Aberdeen. Elphinstone......
Embury, Philip
Philip Embury was an Irish-American preacher and one of the founders of Methodism in the United States. Converted......
Emden, Jacob Israel
Jacob Israel Emden was a rabbi and Talmudic scholar primarily known for his lengthy quarrel with Rabbi Jonathan......
Emlyn, Thomas
Thomas Emlyn was an English Presbyterian minister and writer who first publicly adopted the name Unitarian to designate......
Emmerick, Blessed Anna Katharina
Blessed Anna Katharina Emmerick ; beatified October 3, 2004) was a German nun and mystic whose visions were recorded......
Emser, Hieronymus
Hieronymus Emser was a German theologian, lecturer, editor, and polemicist who is remembered chiefly for his long......
Endor, Witch of
Witch of Endor, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament; 1 Samuel 28:3–25), a female sorcerer who was visited by Saul,......
England, John
John England was an Irish-born American Roman Catholic prelate who became the first bishop of Charleston and who......
Ennin
Ennin was a Buddhist priest of the early Heian period, founder of the Sammon branch of the Tendai sect, who brought......
Ennodius, Magnus Felix
Magnus Felix Ennodius was a Latin poet, prose writer, rhetorician, and bishop, some of whose prose works are valuable......
Ephraem Syrus, Saint
Saint Ephraem Syrus ; Western feast day June 9, Eastern feast day January 28) was a Christian theologian, poet,......
Epiphanius of Constantia, Saint
Saint Epiphanius of Constantia ; feast day May 12) was a bishop noted in the history of the early Christian church......
Episcopius, Simon
Simon Episcopius was a Dutch theologian and systematizer of Arminianism, a liberal reaction to the Calvinist doctrine......
Erasmus
Erasmus was a Dutch humanist who was the greatest scholar of the northern Renaissance, the first editor of the......
Erasmus, St.
St. Erasmus ; feast day June 2) was an early Christian bishop and martyr. He is one of the patron saints of sailors......
Erastus, Thomas
Thomas Erastus was a Swiss physician and religious controversialist whose name is preserved in Erastianism, a doctrine......
Erigena, John Scotus
John Scotus Erigena was a theologian, translator, and commentator on several earlier authors in works centring......
Esau
Esau, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) book of Genesis (25:19–34; 27; 28:6–9; 32:3–21; 33:1–16; and 36), a son......
Escobar y Mendoza, Antonio
Antonio Escobar y Mendoza was a Spanish Jesuit preacher and moral theologian who was derided for his support of......
Eskil
Eskil was an archbishop who restored the unity of the Danish church and championed its independence. A nephew of......
Esther
Esther, heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. She was......
Eudes, St. John
St. John Eudes ; canonized 1925; feast day August 19) was the founder of two Roman Catholic religious orders: the......
Eugenikos, Markos
Markos Eugenikos was a Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Ephesus (near modern Selçuk, Tur.) and theologian who led......
Eulalius
Eulalius was an antipope from December 418 to April 419. He was an archdeacon set up against Pope St. Boniface......
Eunomius
Eunomius was an extreme proponent of Arianism (q.v.). With the Arian philosopher and bishop Aëtius, he established......
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea was a bishop, exegete, polemicist, and historian whose account of the first centuries of Christianity,......
Eusebius of Dorylaeum
Eusebius of Dorylaeum was a bishop of Dorylaeum and famous opponent of the Nestorians (who believed that the divine......
Eusebius of Emesa
Eusebius of Emesa was a bishop of Emesa, one of the chief doctrinal writers on Semi-Arianism, a modified Arianism......
Eusebius of Laodicea
Eusebius of Laodicea was a deacon of Alexandria who became bishop of Laodicea, after risking his life by serving......
Eusebius of Nicomedia
Eusebius of Nicomedia was an important 4th-century Eastern church bishop who was one of the key proponents of Arianism......
Eusebius of Samosata, Saint
Saint Eusebius of Samosata ; feast day: Eastern Church, June 22; Western Church, June 21) was a Christian martyr......
Eusebius of Vercelli, St.
St. Eusebius of Vercelli ; feast day August 2) was a noted supporter of St. Athanasius of Alexandria and restorer......
Eusebius, Saint
Saint Eusebius ; feast day August 17, formerly September 26) was the pope from April 18 to Aug. 17, 309/310. His......
Eustace, St.
St. Eustace ; Western feast day September 2, Eastern feast day November 2) was one of the most famous early Christian......
Eustathius
Eustathius was a bishop of Sebaste (now Sabasṭiyah, West Bank) and metropolitan of Roman Armenia noted for several......
Eustathius of Antioch, Saint
Saint Eustathius of Antioch ; feast day: Western Church, July 16; Eastern Church, February 21) was a bishop of......
Eustathius of Thessalonica
Eustathius of Thessalonica was a metropolitan (archbishop) of Thessalonica (c. 1175–94), humanist scholar, author,......
Euthymius I
Euthymius I was an Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, monk, and theologian. He was a principal figure in the......
Euthymius Of Tŭrnovo
Euthymius Of Tŭrnovo was an Orthodox patriarch of Tŭrnovo, near modern Sofia, monastic scholar and linguist whose......
Euthymius the Great, St
St. Euthymius the Great ; feast day January 20) was an ascetic and one of the great fathers of Eastern Orthodox......
Euthymius The Hagiorite
Euthymius The Hagiorite was a monastic leader, scholar, and writer whose propagation of Greek culture and Eastern......
Eutropius of Saintes, Saint
Saint Eutropius of Saintes ; feast day April 30) was an early Christian bishop-missionary to Gaul, who was martyred......
Eutyches
Eutyches was a revered archimandrite, or monastic superior, in the Eastern Church, at Constantinople, who is regarded......
Eutychian, Saint
Saint Eutychian ; feast day December 7) was the pope from 275 until his death in 283. He succeeded Pope St. Felix......
Evagrius Ponticus
Evagrius Ponticus was a Christian mystic and writer whose development of a theology of contemplative prayer and......
Evaristus, St.
St. Evaristus ; feast day October 6) was the pope from approximately 97 to about 107 during the reign of the Roman......
Eybeschütz, Jonathan
Jonathan Eybeschütz was a rabbi and religious scholar noted for his bitter quarrel with Rabbi Jacob Emden, a dispute......
Eymeric, Nicholas
Nicholas Eymeric was a Roman Catholic theologian, grand inquisitor at Aragon, and supporter of the Avignon papacy.......
Ezekiel
Ezekiel was a prophet-priest of ancient Israel and the subject and in part the author of an Old Testament book......
Ezra
Ezra was a religious leader of the Jews who returned from exile in Babylon, a reformer who reconstituted the Jewish......
Faber, Frederick William
Frederick William Faber was a British theologian, noted hymnist, and founder of the Wilfridians, a religious society......
Faber, Peter
Peter Faber was a French Jesuit theologian and a cofounder of the Society of Jesus, who was tutor and friend of......
Fabian, St
St. Fabian ; feast day January 20) was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 236 to 250. After......
Fakhr ad-Dīn ar-Rāzī
Fakhr ad-Dīn ar-Rāzī was a Muslim theologian and scholar, author of one of the most authoritative commentaries......
Falwell, Jerry
Jerry Falwell was an American religious leader, televangelist, and founder of the Moral Majority, a political organization......
Fanini, Nilson do Amaral
Nilson do Amaral Fanini was a Brazilian Baptist religious leader and evangelist. Fanini earned a degree in theology......
Fard, Wallace D.
Wallace D. Fard was the Mecca-born founder of the Nation of Islam (sometimes called Black Muslim) movement in the......
Farel, Guillaume
Guillaume Farel was a reformer and preacher primarily responsible for introducing the Reformation to French-speaking......
Farrakhan, Louis
An influential and often controversial Black religious leader, Louis Farrakhan has since 1978 been the leader of......
Faulhaber, Michael von
Michael von Faulhaber was a German cardinal and archbishop of Munich who became a prominent opponent of the Nazis.......
Faustus of Riez, St.
St. Faustus of Riez ; feast day in southern France, September 28) was the bishop of Riez, France, who was one of......
Fazang
Fazang was a Buddhist monk usually considered to be the founder of the Huayan school of Buddhism in China because......
Faḍlallāh, Muḥammad Ḥusayn
Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍlallāh was an Iraqi-born Lebanese Muslim cleric who was a prominent Shīʿite religious leader......
Feckenham, John de
John de Feckenham was an English priest and the last abbot of Westminster. Feckenham was a monk at Evesham until......
Felix
Felix (II) was an antipope from 355 to 365. Originally an archdeacon, Felix was irregularly installed as pope in......
Felix
Felix was the bishop of Urgel, Spain, and one of the chief proponents of Adoptionism (q.v.). When Archbishop Elipandus......
Felix I, Saint
Saint Felix I ; feast day May 30) was the pope from 269 to 274. Elected to succeed St. Dionysius, Felix was the......
Felix III, Saint
Saint Felix III ; feast day March 1) was the pope from 483 to 492. He succeeded St. Simplicius on March 13. Felix......
Ferguson, Samuel David
Samuel David Ferguson was the first African American bishop of the Episcopal Church. As a young boy, Ferguson moved......
Ferrar, Nicholas
Nicholas Ferrar was an Anglican clergyman, founder and director of a celebrated Christian community devoted to......
Fesch, Joseph
Joseph Fesch was a French cardinal who was Napoleon’s ambassador to the Vatican in Rome. Fesch was a Corsican and......
Ficino, Marsilio
Marsilio Ficino was an Italian philosopher, theologian, and linguist whose translations and commentaries on the......
Fillmore, Myrtle Page
Myrtle Page Fillmore was an American religious leader who, with her husband, founded Unity, a new religious movement......
Finney, Charles Grandison
Charles Grandison Finney was an American lawyer, president of Oberlin College, and a central figure in the religious......
Fisher, Geoffrey Francis, Baron Fisher of Lambeth
Geoffrey Francis Fisher, Baron Fisher of Lambeth was the 99th archbishop of Canterbury (1945–61). The son, grandson,......
Fisher, Saint John
Saint John Fisher ; canonized May 19, 1935; feast day July 9) was an English humanist, martyr, and prelate, who,......
Fiske, Fidelia
Fidelia Fiske was an American missionary to Persia who worked with considerable success to improve women’s education......
Fitzgibbon, Sister Irene
Sister Irene Fitzgibbon was an American Roman Catholic nun who established programs in New York City for the welfare......
Flacius Illyricus, Matthias
Matthias Flacius Illyricus was a Lutheran Reformer, pioneer in church historical studies, and theological controversialist......
Flaget, Benedict Joseph
Benedict Joseph Flaget was an influential figure in the development of the Roman Catholic church in the United......
Flavian I Of Antioch
Flavian I Of Antioch was the bishop of Antioch from 381 to 404, whose election perpetuated the schism originated......
Flavian II Of Antioch
Flavian II Of Antioch was the patriarch of Antioch probably from 498 to 512. He was chosen patriarch by the emperor......
Flavian, Saint
Saint Flavian ; feast day February 18) was the patriarch of Constantinople from 446 to 449, who opposed the heretical......
Fleury, André-Hercule de
André-Hercule de Fleury was a French cardinal and chief minister who controlled the government of King Louis XV......
Fleury, Claude
Claude Fleury was a French ecclesiastical historian and Cistercian abbot, who steered cleverly through contemporary......
Flew, Antony
Antony Flew was an English philosopher who became a prominent defender of atheism but later declared himself a......
Florensky, Pavel Alexandrovich
Pavel Alexandrovich Florensky was a Russian Orthodox theologian, philosopher, and mathematician. In 1904 Florensky......
Flynn, John
John Flynn was a moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Australia (1939–42) and missionary to the country’s wild......
Folquet De Marseille
Folquet De Marseille was a Provençal troubadour and cleric. Born into a Genoese merchant family, Folquet left his......
Fontenelle, Bernard Le Bovier, sieur de
Bernard Le Bovier, sieur de Fontenelle was a French scientist and man of letters, described by Voltaire as the......
Ford, Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier Ford was a martyred American Roman Catholic missionary and bishop of Meixian in Guangdong province,......
Forman, Andrew
Andrew Forman was a Scottish prelate and diplomat during the reigns of James IV and James V. He was educated at......
Formstecher, Solomon
Solomon Formstecher was a Jewish idealist philosopher who was rabbi at Offenbach from 1842. Die Religion des Geistes......