Spiritual Leaders & Religious Figures, ELE-FUL
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
Eleutherius, St.
St. Eleutherius ; feast day May 26) was the pope from about 175 to 189. During his pontificate the church was involved......
Eliade, Mircea
Mircea Eliade was a historian of religions, phenomenologist of religion, and author of novels, novellas, and short......
Elihu
Elihu, in the Hebrew Bible, a comforter of Job, the biblical prototype of undeserved suffering. Because Elihuâs......
Elijah
Elijah was a Hebrew prophet who ranks with Moses in saving the religion of Yahweh from being corrupted by the nature......
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......
EllacurĂa, Ignacio
Ignacio EllacurĂa was a Spanish-born El Salvadoran Jesuit priest, academic, philosopher, theologian, and human......
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......
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......
Erasmus, St.
St. Erasmus ; feast day June 2) was an early Christian bishop and martyr. He is one of the patron saints of sailors......
Esau
Esau, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) book of Genesis (25:19â34; 27; 28:6â9; 32:3â21; 33:1â16; and 36), a son......
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 AĂ«tius, 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 Sabasáčiyah, 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. 1175â94), 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 TĆrnovo
Euthymius Of TĆrnovo was an Orthodox patriarch of TĆrnovo, 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......
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......
EybeschĂŒtz, Jonathan
Jonathan EybeschĂŒtz was a rabbi and religious scholar noted for his bitter quarrel with Rabbi Jacob Emden, a dispute......
Ezekiel
Ezekiel was a prophet-priest of ancient Israel and the subject and in part the author of an Old Testament book......
Fabian, St
St. Fabian ; feast day January 20) was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 236 to 250. After......
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......
Felix
Felix was the bishop of Urgel, Spain, and one of the chief proponents of Adoptionism (q.v.). When Archbishop Elipandus......
Felix
Felix (II) was an antipope from 355 to 365. Originally an archdeacon, Felix was irregularly installed as pope in......
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 Napoleonâs ambassador to the Vatican in Rome. Fesch was a Corsican and......
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 (1945â61). 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 womenâs education......
Fitzgibbon, Sister Irene
Sister Irene Fitzgibbon was an American Roman Catholic nun who established programs in New York City for the welfare......
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......
Flynn, John
John Flynn was a moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Australia (1939â42) and missionary to the countryâs 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......
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 1485â1509)......
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 Sales, St
St. Francis of Sales ; canonized 1665; feast day January 24) was a Roman Catholic bishop of Geneva who was active......
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 worldâs 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 SĂ€ckingen, Saint
Saint Fridolin of SĂ€ckingen ; 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......
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.......