Spiritual Leaders & Religious Figures, ROG-STR
Religious and spiritual leaders have shaped beliefs, practices, and traditions throughout history. Learn more about influential religious leaders, spiritual teachers, founders, reformers, mystics, and other notable figures.
Spiritual Leaders & Religious Figures Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Rogers, John
John Rogers was a religious Reformer and the first Protestant martyr of the English queen Mary I’s reign. He was......
Rogers, Mary Joseph
Mary Joseph Rogers was the founder of the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic, popularly called the Maryknoll Sisters,......
Rohan, Louis-René-Édouard, prince de
Louis-René-Édouard, prince de Rohan was a cardinal from 1778 and bishop of Strasbourg from 1779 to 1801, who was......
Rokycana, Jan
Jan Rokycana was a priest, archbishop, and follower of Jan Hus (1372/73–1415); he was a chief organizer of the......
Rolston, Holmes, III
Holmes Rolston III was an American utilitarian philosopher and theologian who pioneered the fields of environmental......
Romero, Óscar, St
St. Óscar Romero ; beatified May 23, 2015; canonized October 14, 2018; feast day March 24) was a Salvadoran Roman......
Roundtree, Dovey Johnson
Dovey Johnson Roundtree was an American lawyer, civil rights activist, military officer, minister, and an important......
Roux, Jacques
Jacques Roux was a French priest who became the leader of the democratic extremists known as the Enragés (literally......
Roy, Camille
Camille Roy was a critic and literary historian, noted as an authority on the development of French Canadian literature.......
Ruffo, Fabrizio
Fabrizio Ruffo was a Roman Catholic cardinal and politician who was royal vicar of the Neapolitan kingdom (1799)......
Rufinus, Tyrannius
Tyrannius Rufinus was a Roman priest, writer, theologian, and translator of Greek theological works into Latin......
Runcie, Robert
Robert Runcie was the archbishop of Canterbury and titular head of the Anglican Communion from 1980 to 1991. Runcie......
Ruth
Ruth, biblical character, a woman who after being widowed remains with her husband’s mother. The story is told......
Sabas, Saint
Saint Sabas ; feast day December 5) was a Christian Palestinian monk, champion of orthodoxy in the 5th-century......
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......
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......
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......
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,......
Savonarola, Girolamo
Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Christian preacher, reformer, and martyr, renowned for his clash with tyrannical......
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......
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......
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......
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......
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......
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......
Shenute
Shenute was a monastic reformer, abbot of the White Monastery, near Atripe in Upper Egypt, who is regarded as a......
Shimon bar Yochai
Shimon bar Yochai was a Galilean tanna (i.e., one of a select group of Palestinian rabbinic teachers), one of the......
Shirdi Sai Baba
Shirdi Sai Baba was a spiritual leader dear to Hindu and Muslim devotees throughout India and in diaspora communities......
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,......
Shāmil
Shāmil was the leader of Muslim Dagestan and Chechen mountaineers, whose fierce resistance delayed Russia’s conquest......
Silas, St.
St. Silas ; Western feast day July 13, Eastern feast day July 30) was an early Christian prophet and missionary,......
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......
Siricius, Saint
Saint Siricius ; feast day November 26) was the pope from 384 to 399. Ordained a deacon by Pope Liberius, he was......
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, 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),......
Socrates
Socrates was a Byzantine church historian whose annotated chronicle, Historia ecclesiastica (“Ecclesiastical History”),......
Sophronius
Sophronius was the patriarch of Jerusalem, monk, and theologian who was the chief protagonist for orthodox teaching......
Soter, St.
St. Soter ; feast day April 22) was the pope from about 166 to about 175. Succeeding St. Anicetus as pope, Soter......
Southwell, Robert
Robert Southwell was an English poet and martyr remembered for his saintly life as a Jesuit priest and missionary......
Sozomen
Sozomen was a Christian lawyer in Constantinople whose church history, distinguished for its classical literary......
Spalding, Henry Harmon
Henry Harmon Spalding was a U.S. Presbyterian missionary who, with his wife, Eliza, in 1836 established the Lapwai......
Spalding, Mother Catherine
Mother Catherine Spalding was an American Roman Catholic leader under whose guidance the Sisters of Charity established......
Spangenberg, August Gottlieb
August Gottlieb Spangenberg was a German bishop of the Unitas Fratrum, successor to its leader, Nikolaus Ludwig,......
Spellman, Francis
Francis Spellman was an archbishop and cardinal who was one of the most influential American Roman Catholic prelates......
Spurgeon, C.H.
C.H. Spurgeon was an English fundamentalist Baptist minister and celebrated preacher whose sermons, which were......
St. Dymphna
St. Dymphna ; feast day May 15) was an Irish virgin martyr who is venerated as the patron saint of people with......
St. George
St. George ; feast day April 23) was an early Christian martyr who during the Middle Ages became an ideal of martial......
Stanislaus of Kraków, St
St. Stanislaus of Kraków ; canonized 1253; feast day April 11, feast day in Kraków May 7) was the bishop of Kraków......
Stanton, Alysa
Alysa Stanton is an American rabbi who on June 6, 2009, became the first female African American to be so ordained.......
Staupitz, Johann von
Johann von Staupitz was the vicar-general of the German Augustinians during the revolt against the Roman Catholic......
Stein, Edith
Edith Stein ; canonized October 11, 1998; feast day August 9) was a Roman Catholic convert from Judaism, Carmelite......
Stephen I, St.
St. Stephen I ; feast day August 2) was the pope from 254 to 257. He was a priest when consecrated, probably on......
Stephen of Perm, Saint
Saint Stephen of Perm ; feast day April 26) was one of the most successful and dynamic missionaries of the Russian......
Stephen, St
St. Stephen ; feast day December 26) was a Christian deacon in Jerusalem who is believed to have been the first......
Stevenson, Matilda Coxe
Matilda Coxe Stevenson was an American ethnologist who became one of the major contributors to her field, particularly......
Stigand
Stigand was the archbishop of Canterbury, probably the English king Canute’s priest of this name whom he placed......
Stone, Barton W
Barton W. Stone was a Protestant clergyman and a founder of the Disciples of Christ, a major U.S. religious denomination.......
Strachan, John
John Strachan was an educator and clergyman who, as the first Anglican bishop of Toronto, was responsible for organizing......