Theologians & Religious Scholars, AAR-CAM
Theologians and religious scholars have influenced the beliefs, teachings, and traditions of world religions throughout history. Learn more about theologians and religious thinkers from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and other faiths.
Theologians & Religious Scholars Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Aaron ben Elijah
Aaron ben Elijah was a theologian of Constantinople (now Istanbul), and the only scholar to seek a philosophical......
Abelard, Peter
Peter Abelard was a French theologian and philosopher best known for his solution of the problem of universals......
Abhdisho bar Berikha
Abhdisho bar Berikha was a Syrian Christian theologian and poet who was the last important representative of the......
Abū al-Aʿlā al-Mawdūdī
Abū al-Aʿlā al-Mawdūdī was a journalist and fundamentalist Muslim theologian who played a major role in Pakistani......
Abū Ḥanīfah
Abū Ḥanīfah was a Muslim jurist and theologian whose systematization of Islamic legal doctrine was acknowledged......
Acosta, José de
José de Acosta was a Jesuit theologian and missionary to the New World known chiefly for his Historia natural y......
Agnon, S.Y.
S.Y. Agnon was an Israeli writer who was one of the leading modern Hebrew novelists and short-story writers. In......
Agricola, Johann
Johann Agricola was a Lutheran Reformer, friend of Martin Luther, and advocate of antinomianism, a view asserting......
Agrippa von Nettesheim, Heinrich Cornelius
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim was a court secretary to Charles V, physician to Louise of Savoy, exasperating......
Ailly, Pierre d’
Pierre d’Ailly was a French theologian, cardinal, and advocate of church reform whose chief aim was to heal the......
Ainsworth, Henry
Henry Ainsworth was a Nonconformist theologian, Hebrew scholar, and a leader of the English Separatist colony in......
Akindynos, Gregorios
Gregorios Akindynos was a Byzantine monk and theologian who was the principal opponent of Hesychasm, a Greek monastic......
Akiva ben Yosef
Akiva ben Yosef was a Jewish sage, a principal founder of rabbinic Judaism. He introduced a new method of interpreting......
Alain de Lille
Alain de Lille was a theologian and poet so celebrated for his varied learning that he was known as “the universal......
Albertus Magnus, St
St. Albertus Magnus ; canonized December 16, 1931; feast day November 15) was a Dominican bishop and philosopher......
Albo, Joseph
Joseph Albo was a Jewish philosopher and theologian from Spain who is noted for his classic work of Jewish dogmatics,......
Alexander Of Hales
Alexander Of Hales was a theologian and philosopher whose doctrines influenced the teachings of such thinkers as......
Alger Of Liège
Alger Of Liège was a Flemish priest famed in his day for his learning and writings. Alger was first a deacon of......
Altizer, Thomas J.J.
Thomas J.J. Altizer was an American radical theologian associated with the Death of God movement in the 1960s and......
Ames, William
William Ames was an English Puritan theologian remembered for his writings on ethics and for debating and writing......
Amsdorf, Nikolaus von
Nikolaus von Amsdorf was a Protestant Reformer and major supporter of Martin Luther. Educated at Leipzig and then......
Anastasius Sinaita, Saint
Saint Anastasius Sinaita ; feast day April 21) was a theologian and abbot of the Monastery of St. Catherine, on......
Andrewes, Lancelot
Lancelot Andrewes was a theologian and court preacher who sought to defend and advance Anglican doctrines during......
Anselm of Canterbury, St
St. Anselm of Canterbury ; feast day April 21) was an Italian-born theologian and philosopher, known as the father......
Anselm Of Laon
Anselm Of Laon was a theologian who became eminent in early Scholasticism. Anselm apparently studied at Bec, Fr.,......
Anthimus VII Tsatsos
Anthimus VII Tsatsos was an Eastern Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople (1895–96), theologian, orator, and a leading......
Anthony of Padua, St
St. Anthony of Padua ; canonized 1232; feast day June 13) was a Franciscan friar and a dedicated patron of the......
Anthony Of Tagrit
Anthony Of Tagrit was a Syrian Orthodox theologian and writer, a principal contributor to the development of Syriac......
Antoninus, Saint
Saint Antoninus ; canonized 1523; feast day May 10) was the archbishop of Florence who is regarded as one of the......
Aphraates
Aphraates was a Syrian ascetic and the earliest-known Christian writer of the Syriac church in Persia. Aphraates......
Aquila
Aquila was a scholar who in about ad 140 completed a literal translation into Greek of the Old Testament; it replaced......
Aquinas, Thomas, St
St. Thomas Aquinas ; canonized July 18, 1323; feast day January 28, formerly March 7) was an Italian Dominican......
Arminius, Jacobus
Jacobus Arminius was a theologian and minister of the Dutch Reformed Church who opposed the strict Calvinist teaching......
Arnauld, Antoine
Antoine Arnauld was a leading 17th-century theologian of Jansenism, a Roman Catholic movement that held heretical......
Arndt, Johann
Johann Arndt was a German Lutheran theologian whose mystical writings were widely circulated in Europe in the 17th......
Ashʿarī, Abū al-Ḥasan al-
Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī was a Muslim Arab theologian noted for having integrated the rationalist methodology of......
Athanasius, St
St. Athanasius ; feast day May 2) was an early Christian theologian, ecclesiastical statesman, and Egyptian national......
Athenagoras
Athenagoras was a Greek Christian philosopher and Apologist whose Presbeia peri Christianōn (c. 177; Embassy for......
Augustine, St
St. Augustine ; feast day August 28) was the bishop of Hippo from 396 to 430, one of the Latin Fathers of the Christian......
Azad, Abul Kalam
Abul Kalam Azad was an Islamic theologian who was one of the leaders of the Indian independence movement against......
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was a Muslim theologian, jurist, and martyr for his faith. He was the compiler of the Musnad,......
Aḥmad Sirhindī, Shaykh
Shaykh Aḥmad Sirhindī was an Indian mystic and theologian who was largely responsible for the reassertion and revival......
Baader, Franz Xaver von
Franz Xaver von Baader was a Roman Catholic layman who became an influential mystical theologian and ecumenicist.......
Baconthorpe, John
John Baconthorpe was an English theologian and philosopher who, although he did not subscribe to the heterodox......
Baeck, Leo
Leo Baeck was a Reform rabbi and theologian, the spiritual leader of German Jewry during the Nazi period, and the......
Bahrdt, Carl Friedrich
Carl Friedrich Bahrdt was a German Enlightenment writer, radical theologian, philosopher, and adventurer, best-known......
Baillie, Robert
Robert Baillie was a Presbyterian minister and theological scholar who led the movement in Scotland to reject (1637)......
Baius, Michael
Michael Baius was a theologian whose work powerfully influenced Cornelius Jansen, one of the fathers of Jansenism.......
Baker, Augustine
Augustine Baker was an English Benedictine monk who was an important writer on ascetic and mystical theology. Educated......
Ballou, Hosea
Hosea Ballou was an American theologian who for more than 50 years was an influential leader in the Universalist......
Balthasar, Hans Urs von
Hans Urs von Balthasar was a Swiss Roman Catholic theologian who rejected the ultraconservatism of the French schismatic......
Bar Salibi, Jacob
Jacob Bar Salibi was the great spokesman of the Jacobite (miaphysite) church in the 12th century. A native of Melitene......
Barbour, Ian
Ian Barbour was an American theologian and scientist who attempted to reconcile science and religion. Barbour was......
Barnes, Albert
Albert Barnes was a U.S. Presbyterian clergyman and writer. Of Methodist parentage, he intended to study law but,......
Barth, Karl
Karl Barth was one of the most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century who radically changed Protestant......
Basil Of Ancyra
Basil Of Ancyra was a Greek theologian and bishop of Ancyra (now Ankara, Tur.) whose attempt to mediate a controversy......
Basil the Great, St
St. Basil the Great ; Western feast day January 2; Eastern feast day January 1) was an early Church Father who......
Baur, Ferdinand Christian
Ferdinand Christian Baur was a German theologian and scholar who initiated the Protestant Tübingen school of biblical......
Beecher, Lyman
Lyman Beecher was a U.S. Presbyterian clergyman in the revivalist tradition and an important figure in the Second......
Beke, Charles Tilstone
Charles Tilstone Beke was an English biblical scholar, geographer, and businessman who played an important role......
Bellarmine, St. Robert
St. Robert Bellarmine ; canonized 1930; feast day September 17) was an Italian cardinal and theologian, an opponent......
Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI was the bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. Prior to his election......
Bengel, J.A.
J.A. Bengel was a German Lutheran theologian and biblical scholar who was the founder of Swabian Pietism and a......
Berdyayev, Nikolay Aleksandrovich
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Berdyayev was a religious thinker, philosopher, and Marxist who became a critic of Russian......
Berengar Of Tours
Berengar Of Tours was a theologian principally remembered for his leadership of the losing side in the crucial......
Bernard of Clairvaux, St
St. Bernard of Clairvaux ; canonized January 18, 1174; feast day August 20) was a Cistercian monk and mystic, founder......
Berrigan, Daniel
Daniel Berrigan was an American writer, Roman Catholic priest, and antiwar activist whose poems and essays reflect......
Bertholet, Alfred
Alfred Bertholet was a Protestant Old Testament scholar, who also wrote on the phenomenology of religion. After......
Bessarion
Bessarion was a Byzantine humanist and theologian, later a Roman cardinal, and a major contributor to the revival......
Beza, Theodore
Theodore Beza was an author, translator, educator, and theologian who assisted and later succeeded John Calvin......
Biddle, John
John Biddle was a controversial lay theologian who was repeatedly imprisoned for his anti-Trinitarian views and......
Biel, Gabriel
Gabriel Biel was a German philosopher, economist, and one of the most distinguished Scholastic theologians of the......
Blastares, Matthew
Matthew Blastares was a Greek Orthodox monk, theological writer, and Byzantine legal authority whose systematizing......
Bonaventure, Saint
Saint Bonaventure ; canonized April 14, 1482; feast day July 15) was a leading medieval theologian, minister general......
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Protestant theologian important for his support of ecumenism and his view of Christianity’s......
Bousset, Wilhelm
Wilhelm Bousset was a New Testament scholar and theologian, professor successively at the universities of Göttingen......
Boyle, Robert
Robert Boyle was an Anglo-Irish natural philosopher and theological writer, a preeminent figure of 17th-century......
Bradwardine, Thomas
Thomas Bradwardine was the archbishop of Canterbury, theologian, and mathematician. Bradwardine studied at Merton......
Brady, Nicholas
Nicholas Brady was an Anglican clergyman and poet, author, with Nahum Tate, of a well-known metrical version of......
Brunner, Emil
Emil Brunner was a Swiss theologian in the Reformed tradition who helped direct the course of modern Protestant......
Bryennios, Philotheos
Philotheos Bryennios was an Eastern Church theologian and metropolitan who discovered the Didachē manuscript, an......
Bucer, Martin
Martin Bucer was a Protestant reformer, mediator, and liturgical scholar best known for his ceaseless attempts......
Bulgakov, Macarius
Macarius Bulgakov was a Russian Orthodox metropolitan (archbishop) of Moscow and internationally recognized theologian......
Bulgakov, Sergey Nikolayevich
Sergey Nikolayevich Bulgakov was an economist and Russian Orthodox theologian who brought to its fullest development......
Bulgaris, Eugenius
Eugenius Bulgaris was a Greek Orthodox theologian and liberal arts scholar who disseminated Western thought throughout......
Bullinger, Heinrich
Heinrich Bullinger was a convert from Roman Catholicism who first aided and then succeeded the Swiss reformer Huldrych......
Bultmann, Rudolf
Rudolf Bultmann was a leading 20th-century New Testament scholar known for his program to “demythologize” the New......
Burgers, Thomas François
Thomas François Burgers was a theologian and controversial president (1871–77) of the Transvaal who in 1877 allowed......
Busenbaum, Hermann
Hermann Busenbaum was a Jesuit moral theologian. Busenbaum entered the Society of Jesus in 1619 and was later appointed......
Bushnell, Horace
Horace Bushnell was a Congregational minister and controversial theologian, sometimes called “the father of American......
Butler, Joseph
Joseph Butler was an Anglican bishop, moral philosopher, preacher to the royal court, and influential author who......
Cabasilas, Nicholas
Nicholas Cabasilas was a Greek Orthodox lay theologian and liturgist who eminently represents the tradition of......
Cabasilas, Nilus
Nilus Cabasilas was a Greek Orthodox metropolitan, theologian, and scholar, whose treatises critical of medieval......
Caird, Edward
Edward Caird was a philosopher and leader in Britain of the Neo-Hegelian school. After studies in Scotland and......
Caird, John
John Caird was a British theologian and preacher, and an exponent of theism in Hegelian terms. Ordained as a Presbyterian......
Cajetan
Cajetan was one of the major Catholic theologians of the Thomist school. Entering the Dominican order in 1484,......
Calamy, Edmund
Edmund Calamy was an English Presbyterian theologian who contributed significantly to the writings of Smectymnuus......
Callistus
Callistus was the patriarch of Constantinople, theologian, and hagiographer, an advocate of a Byzantine school......
Calvin, John
John Calvin was a theologian and ecclesiastical statesman. He was the leading French Protestant reformer and the......
Camerarius, Joachim
Joachim Camerarius was a German classical scholar and Lutheran theologian who mediated between Protestants and......