Religious Figures & Scholars, FOR-GRA
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
Forsyth, Peter Taylor
Peter Taylor Forsyth was a Scottish Congregational minister whose numerous and influential writings anticipated......
Fortunatus, Venantius
Venantius Fortunatus was a poet and bishop of Poitiers, whose Latin poems and hymns combine echoes of classical......
Fosdick, Harry Emerson
Harry Emerson Fosdick was a liberal Protestant minister, teacher, and author, who was pastor of the interdenominational......
Foucauld, St. Charles de
St. Charles de Foucauld ; canonized May 15, 2022, feast day December 1) was a French soldier, explorer, and ascetic......
Fox, George
George Fox was an English preacher and missionary and founder of the Society of Friends (or Quakers). His personal......
Foxe, John
John Foxe was an English Puritan preacher and author of The Book of Martyrs, a graphic and polemic account of those......
Foxe, Richard
Richard Foxe was an English ecclesiastical statesman, one of the chief ministers of King Henry VII (ruled 1485–1509)......
Francis
Francis ushered in a new era of leadership in the Roman Catholic Church when he was elected pope in 2013. As the......
Francis of Assisi, St
St. Francis of Assisi ; canonized July 16, 1228; feast day October 4) was the founder of the Franciscan religious......
Francis Of Meyronnes
Francis Of Meyronnes was a Franciscan monk, one of the principal philosopher–theologians of 14th-century Scholasticism......
Francis of Sales, St
St. Francis of Sales ; canonized 1665; feast day January 24) was a Roman Catholic bishop of Geneva who was active......
Franck, Sebastian
Sebastian Franck was a German Protestant Reformer and theologian who converted from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism......
Frank, Jacob
Jacob Frank was a Jewish false messiah who claimed to be the reincarnation of Shabbetai Tzevi (1626–76). The most......
Frankel, Zacharias
Zacharias Frankel was a rabbi and theologian, a founder of what became Conservative Judaism. After graduation from......
Frazer, Sir James George
Sir James George Frazer was a British anthropologist, folklorist, and classical scholar, best remembered as the......
Freedman, Maurice
Maurice Freedman was a British scholar who was one of the world’s leading experts on Chinese anthropology. After......
French, Thomas Valpy
Thomas Valpy French was the first Anglican bishop of Lahore (now in Pakistan). French was educated at Rugby School......
Fridolin of Säckingen, Saint
Saint Fridolin of Säckingen ; feast day March 6) was an Irish-born missionary who is said to have established churches......
Frohschammer, Jakob
Jakob Frohschammer was a Roman Catholic priest, prolific writer, and philosopher who was excommunicated for claiming......
Frommel, Gaston
Gaston Frommel was a Swiss Protestant philosopher and theologian. Frommel attempted to base theism (the doctrine......
Froude, Richard Hurrell
Richard Hurrell Froude was an Anglican churchman and a leader of the Oxford Movement, which sought to reintroduce......
Frumentius, Saint
Saint Frumentius ; feast day October 27 in the Roman Catholic Church; November 30 in Eastern Orthodox churches;......
Fulbert of Chartres, Saint
Saint Fulbert of Chartres ; feast day April 10) was a French bishop of Chartres who developed the cathedral school......
Fulgentius of Ruspe, Saint
Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe ; feast day January 1) was an African bishop of Ruspe and theological writer who defended......
Fulk, Archbishop of Reims
Fulk, Archbishop of Reims was the leader of the opposition to the non-Carolingian king Eudes (of the West Franks,......
Fuller, Andrew
Andrew Fuller was an English Baptist minister and theologian. He is remembered as a founder and first secretary......
Fuller, Thomas
Thomas Fuller was a British scholar, preacher, and one of the most witty and prolific authors of the 17th century.......
Fursey, Saint
Saint Fursey ; feast day January 16) was a monk, visionary, and one of the greatest early medieval Irish monastic......
Fénelon, François de Salignac de La Mothe-
François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon was a French archbishop, theologian, and man of letters whose liberal......
Fāṭimah
Fāṭimah was the daughter of Muhammad (the founder of Islam) who in later centuries became the object of deep veneration......
G. K. Chesterton on Charles Dickens
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)—the polymathic poet, philosopher, orator, journalist, superb stylist, and......
Gaius, St.
St. Gaius ; feast day April 22) was the pope from 283 (possibly December 17) to 296. Nothing about him is known......
Galen, Blessed Clemens August, Graf von
Blessed Clemens August, Graf von Galen was a Roman Catholic bishop of Münster, Germany, who was noted for his public......
Galerius
Galerius was a Roman emperor from 305 to 311, notorious for his persecution of Christians. Galerius was born of......
Gall, Saint
Saint Gall ; feast day October 16) was an Irish monk who helped spread Irish influence while introducing Christianity......
Gallitzin, Demetrius Augustine
Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin was one of the first Roman Catholic priests to serve as a missionary to European......
Gamaliel I
Gamaliel I was a tanna, one of a select group of Palestinian masters of the Jewish Oral Law, and a teacher twice......
Gamaliel II
Gamaliel II was the nasi (president) of the Sanhedrin, at that time the supreme Jewish legislative body, in Jabneh,......
Gamaliel III
Gamaliel III was the eldest son of Judah ha-Nasi, and the renowned editor of the Mishna (the basic compilation......
Ganioda’yo
Ganioda’yo was a Seneca chief and prophet who founded the religious movement known as Gai’wiio (“Good Message”)......
Gans, Eduard
Eduard Gans was a major German jurist and, for a time, a potent force in the revival of studies of Jewish culture.......
Gante, Pedro de
Pedro de Gante was a Franciscan monk who founded the first school in New Spain (Mexico) and laid the foundations......
Garbett, Cyril Forster
Cyril Forster Garbett was the archbishop of York and an ecclesiastical writer who promoted a social conscience......
Gasparri, Pietro
Pietro Gasparri was an Italian cardinal who, by appointment of Pope St. Pius X, in 1904 directed the new Code of......
Gasquet, Francis Aidan
Francis Aidan Gasquet was an English Roman Catholic historian, a cardinal from 1914, and prefect of the Vatican......
Gaunilo
Gaunilo was a Benedictine monk of the Marmoutier Abbey near Tours, France, who opposed St. Anselm of Canterbury’s......
Gavrilo
Gavrilo was the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (1938–50), noted for his anti-Nazi stand and, later, for......
Ge Hong
Ge Hong was a figure in Chinese Daoism, perhaps the best-known alchemist, who tried to combine Confucian ethics......
Geber
Geber was the unknown author of several books that were among the most influential works on alchemy and metallurgy......
Geiger, Abraham
Abraham Geiger was a German-Jewish theologian, author, and the outstanding leader in the early development of Reform......
Gelmírez, Diego
Diego Gelmírez was a Spanish bishop and archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, site of the supposed shrine of St.......
Geneviève, St.
St. Geneviève ; feast day January 3) was the patron saint of Paris, who allegedly saved that city from the Huns.......
Gennadios II Scholarios
Gennadios II Scholarios was the first patriarch of Constantinople (1454–64) under Turkish rule and the foremost......
Gennadius I of Constantinople, Saint
Saint Gennadius I of Constantinople ; feast day August 25) was a Byzantine theologian, biblical exegete, and patriarch.......
Gennadius Of Marseilles
Gennadius Of Marseilles was a theologian-priest whose work De viris illustribus (“On Famous Men”) constitutes the......
Gennadius Of Novgorod
Gennadius Of Novgorod was a Russian Orthodox archbishop of Novgorod, Russia, whose leadership in suppressing Judaizing......
Geometres, John
John Geometres was a Byzantine poet, official, and monk, known for his short poems in classical metre. Geometres......
George Of Cappadocia
George Of Cappadocia was an opponent of and controversial successor (357) to Bishop Athanasius the Great of Alexandria,......
George of Laodicea
George of Laodicea was a bishop of Laodicea who was one of the principal champions of the homoiousian, or moderate......
George The Syncellus
George The Syncellus was a Byzantine historian and author of a world chronicle of events from the creation to the......
Gerard, St.
St. Gerard ; feast day September 24) was a Venetian Benedictine monk, one of the chief Christian evangelizers of......
Gerhard, Johann
Johann Gerhard was a leading German Protestant theologian, biblical scholar, renowned polemicist, author of the......
Gerlach, Otto von
Otto von Gerlach was a Prussian Lutheran theologian and educator, younger brother of Leopold and Ludwig von Gerlach.......
Germanus I, Saint
Saint Germanus I ; feast day May 12) was a Byzantine patriarch of Constantinople and theologian who led the orthodox......
Germanus of Auxerre, Saint
Saint Germanus of Auxerre ; feast day: Wales, August 3; elsewhere, July 31) was a Gallic prelate who was twice......
Gershom ben Judah
Gershom ben Judah was an eminent rabbinical scholar who proposed a far-reaching series of legal enactments (taqqanot)......
Gerson, Jean de
Jean de Gerson was a theologian and Christian mystic, leader of the conciliar movement for church reform that ended......
Gesenius, Wilhelm
Wilhelm Gesenius was a German biblical critic and an important figure in Hebrew and other Semitic language studies.......
Ghazālī, al-
al-Ghazālī was a Muslim theologian and mystic whose great work, Iḥyāʾ ʿulūm al-dīnIḥyāʾ ʿulūm al-dīn (“The Revival......
Gibbons, James Cardinal
James Cardinal Gibbons was an American prelate who, as archbishop of Baltimore from 1877 to 1921, served as a bridge......
Gideon
Gideon, a judge and hero-liberator of Israel whose deeds are described in the Book of Judges. The author apparently......
Gikatilla, Joseph
Joseph Gikatilla was a major Spanish Kabbalist whose writings influenced those of Moses de León, presumed author......
Gilbert Crispin
Gilbert Crispin was an English cleric, biblical exegete, and proponent of the thought of St. Anselm of Canterbury.......
Gilbert Foliot
Gilbert Foliot was an Anglo-Norman Cluniac monk who became bishop of Hereford and later of London; he was an unsuccessful......
Gilbert of Sempringham, Saint
Saint Gilbert of Sempringham ; canonized 1202; feast day February 4, feast day in Northampton and Nottingham February......
Giles of Rome
Giles of Rome was a Scholastic theologian, philosopher, logician, archbishop, and general and intellectual leader......
Gillespie, Mother Angela
Mother Angela Gillespie was an American religious leader who guided her order in dramatically expanding higher......
Gillespie, Thomas
Thomas Gillespie was a Scottish Presbyterian minister who assisted in founding the Relief Church (Oct. 22, 1761),......
Gioberti, Vincenzo
Vincenzo Gioberti was an Italian philosopher, politician, and premier of Sardinia-Piedmont (1848–49), whose writings......
Gladden, Washington
Washington Gladden was an American Congregational minister, crusading journalist, author, and prominent early advocate......
Glycas, Michael
Michael Glycas was a Byzantine historian, theologian, and poet, author of a world chronicle and learned theological......
Gobel, Jean-Baptiste-Joseph
Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel was the archbishop of Paris whose resignation doomed him to association with the Hébertists,......
Godfrey Of Fontaines
Godfrey Of Fontaines was a French Aristotelian philosopher and theologian prominent in the medieval controversy......
Godfrey of Saint-Victor
Godfrey of Saint-Victor was a French monk, philosopher, theologian, and poet whose writings summarized an early......
Godwin, Francis
Francis Godwin was a bishop and historian who wrote the first story of space travel in English literature, The......
Goliath
Goliath, (c. 11th century bce), in the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament), the Philistine giant slain by David,......
Gomarus, Franciscus
Franciscus Gomarus was a Calvinist theologian and university professor whose disputes with his more liberal colleague......
González de Mendoza, Pedro, Cardinal
Pedro González, cardinal de Mendoza was a Spanish prelate and diplomat who influenced Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand......
Goodspeed, Edgar J.
Edgar J. Goodspeed was an American biblical scholar and linguist, and a contributor to the Revised Standard Version......
Goodwin, John
John Goodwin was a prominent English Puritan theologian and leader of the “New Arminians.” Educated at Queen’s......
Goodwin, Thomas
Thomas Goodwin was an English Puritan clergyman and a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell who helped draft a confession......
Gore, Charles
Charles Gore was an English theologian, Anglican bishop, and an exponent of the liberal tendency within the Anglo-Catholic......
Gotthard, Saint
Saint Gotthard ; canonized 1131; feast day May 4) was an abbot and archbishop, who helped foster the development......
Gottschalk Of Orbais
Gottschalk Of Orbais was a monk, poet, and theologian whose teachings on predestination shook the Roman Catholic......
Goślicki, Wawrzyniec
Wawrzyniec Goślicki was a Roman Catholic bishop and diplomat whose political writings were precursory to Catholic......
Grace, Charles Emmanuel
Charles Emmanuel Grace was an African American revivalist and founder of the United House of Prayer for All People.......
Graham, Billy
Billy Graham was an American evangelist whose large-scale preaching missions, known as crusades, and friendship......
Granvelle, Antoine Perrenot de
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle was a minister of King Philip II of Spain; he played a major role in the early stages......
Gratian
Gratian was an Italian monk who was the father of the study of canon law. His writing and teaching initiated canon......
Gray, Walter de
Walter de Gray was an English churchman who rose to high ecclesiastical office through service to King John. He......