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Vincent of Lérins, Saint
Saint Vincent of Lérins ; feast day May 24) was a Gallo-Roman saint, the chief theologian of the Abbey of Lérins,......
Vinet, Alexandre-Rodolphe
Alexandre-Rodolphe Vinet was a French-Swiss theologian, moralist, and literary critic who was instrumental in establishing......
Visser ’t Hooft, Willem Adolph
Willem Adolph Visser ’t Hooft was a Dutch clergyman and theologian who led the World Council of Churches as its......
Vitoria, Francisco de
Francisco de Vitoria was a Spanish theologian best remembered for his defense of the rights of the Indians of the......
Voetius, Gisbertus
Gisbertus Voetius was a Dutch Reformed theologian, scholar in Semitic languages, and educator who upheld uncompromising......
Vídalín, Jón Thorkelsson
Jón Thorkelsson Vídalín was a Lutheran bishop, best known for his Húss-Postilla (1718–20; “Sermons for the Home”),......
Wach, Joachim
Joachim Wach was a Protestant theologian and one of the foremost scholars in the modern study of religion. As a......
Wahhāb, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-
Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb was a theologian and founder of the Wahhābī movement, which attempted a return to the......
Wala, Saint
Saint Wala ; feast day August 31) was a Frankish count, Benedictine abbot, and influential minister at the courts......
Walafrid Strabo
Walafrid Strabo was a Benedictine abbot, theologian, and poet whose Latin writings were the principal exemplar......
Walburga, Saint
Saint Walburga ; feast day February 25) was an abbess and missionary who, with her brothers Willibald of Eichstätt......
Wallace, Anthony F.C.
Anthony F.C. Wallace was a Canadian-born American psychological anthropologist and historian known for his analysis......
Walther, Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm
Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther was a Lutheran theologian whose conservative views played an important role in the......
Walī Allāh, Shāh
Shāh Walī Allāh was an Indian theologian and promulgator of modern Islamic thought who first attempted to reassess......
Wang Che
Wang Che was the founder of the Ch’üan-chen (Perfect Realization) sect of Taoism, in 1163. After receiving secret......
Warburton, William
William Warburton was an Anglican bishop of Gloucester, literary critic, and controversialist. Ordained priest......
Ward, William George
William George Ward was an English author and theologian, one of the leaders of the Oxford movement, which sought......
Warham, William
William Warham was the last of the pre-Reformation archbishops of Canterbury, a quiet, retiring intellectual who......
Warren, Rick
Rick Warren is an American pastor who, as the founder of Saddleback Church and as the author of The Purpose-Driven......
Warriston, Archibald Johnston, Lord
Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston was a Scottish Presbyterian who was a leading anti-Royalist during the English......
Watson, William
William Watson was an English Roman Catholic priest who was executed for his part in the “Bye Plot” against King......
Watts, Alan
Alan Watts was a British-born American writer, philosopher, and lecturer who is credited with introducing and popularizing......
Waynflete, William of
William of Waynflete was an English lord chancellor and bishop of Winchester who founded Magdalen College of the......
Weil, Simone
Simone Weil was a French mystic, social philosopher, and activist in the French Resistance during World War II,......
Weiss, Johannes
Johannes Weiss was a German theologian known for his work in New Testament criticism. He wrote the first eschatological......
Welby, Justin
Justin Welby was the 105th archbishop of Canterbury, serving from 2013 until his resignation in 2024. He was the......
Welch, Adam Cleghorn
Adam Cleghorn Welch was one of the greatest Scottish biblical scholars. The son of a United Presbyterian missionary,......
Wellhausen, Julius
Julius Wellhausen was a German biblical scholar best known for his analysis of the structure and dating of the......
Wenceslas I
Wenceslas I ; feast day September 28) was the prince of Bohemia, a martyr, and the patron saint of the Czech Republic.......
Wesley, John
John Wesley was an Anglican clergyman, evangelist, and founder, with his brother Charles, of the Methodist movement......
Westcott, Brooke Foss
Brooke Foss Westcott was an Anglican bishop of Durham, England, and a biblical scholar who collaborated with Fenton......
Weymouth, Richard Francis
Richard Francis Weymouth was a philologist and biblical scholar who made one of the major 20th-century translations......
Whately, Richard
Richard Whately was an Anglican archbishop of Dublin, educator, logician, and social reformer. The son of a clergyman,......
White, Alma Bridwell
Alma Bridwell White was an American religious leader who was a founder and major moving force in the evangelical......
White, Ellen Gould Harmon
Ellen Gould Harmon White was an American religious leader who was one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist......
White, William
William White was the first bishop consecrated in England for the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States......
Whitefield, George
George Whitefield was a Church of England evangelist who, by his popular preaching, stimulated the 18th-century......
Whitgift, John
John Whitgift was the archbishop of Canterbury who did much to strengthen the Anglican church during the last years......
Whitman, Marcus
Marcus Whitman was an American physician, Congregational missionary to the Indians in the territories of present-day......
Wilberforce, Samuel
Samuel Wilberforce was a British cleric, an Anglican prelate and educator and a defender of orthodoxy, who typified......
Wilfrid, Saint
Saint Wilfrid ; feast day October 12) was one of the greatest English saints, a monk and bishop who was outstanding......
Wilkinson, Jemima
Jemima Wilkinson was an American religious leader who founded an unorthodox Christian sect, the Universal Friends,......
William De La Mare
William De La Mare was an English philosopher and theologian, advocate of the traditional Neoplatonic-Augustinian......
William of Auvergne
William of Auvergne was the most prominent French philosopher-theologian of the early 13th century and one of the......
William of Auxerre
William of Auxerre was a French philosopher-theologian who contributed to the adaptation of classical Greek philosophy......
William of Champeaux
William of Champeaux was a French bishop, logician, theologian, and philosopher who was prominent in the Scholastic......
William Of Hirsau
William Of Hirsau was a German cleric, Benedictine abbot, and monastic reformer, the principal German advocate......
William of Moerbeke
William of Moerbeke was a Flemish cleric, archbishop, and classical scholar whose Latin translations of the works......
William Of Saint-amour
William Of Saint-amour was a French philosopher and theologian who led the opposition at the University of Paris......
William of Saint-Thierry
William of Saint-Thierry was a French monk, theologian, and mystic, and a leading adversary of early medieval rationalistic......
Williams, Rowan
Rowan Williams is a noted theologian, was the 104th archbishop of Canterbury (2002–12), archbishop of the Church......
Williams, William
William Williams was a leader of the Methodist revival in Wales and its chief hymn writer. His parents were Nonconformists,......
Willibrord, Saint
Saint Willibrord ; feast day November 7) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop and missionary, apostle of Friesland, and a......
Wilson, A.N.
A.N. Wilson is an English essayist, journalist, and author of satiric novels of British society and of scholarly......
Winchelsey, Robert
Robert Winchelsey was an archbishop of Canterbury who was a champion of clerical privilege and a leading opponent......
Winchester, Elhanan
Elhanan Winchester was an American preacher and revivalist who helped to spread Universalism in the United States.......
Wise, Isaac Mayer
Isaac Mayer Wise was a rabbi whose goal of uniting American Jewry made him the greatest organizer of Reform Jewish......
Wise, Stephen Samuel
Stephen Samuel Wise was a Reform rabbi, a leader of the Zionist movement in the United States, and a liberal activist......
Wiseman, Nicholas
Nicholas Wiseman was the first cardinal resident in England since the Reformation and the first archbishop of Westminster.......
Wishart, George
George Wishart was an early martyr of the Reformation in Scotland. While a teacher of Greek at Montrose, Wishart......
Wolsey, Thomas, Cardinal
Thomas, Cardinal Wolsey was a cardinal and statesman who dominated the government of England’s King Henry VIII......
Wood, Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth Wood was an American librarian and missionary, whose efforts brought numerous libraries to China......
Woodard, Nathaniel
Nathaniel Woodard was an Anglican priest and founder of middle class public schools. An Oxford graduate, he was......
Woodruff, Wilford
Wilford Woodruff was the fourth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), who issued......
Woolman, John
John Woolman was a British-American Quaker leader and abolitionist whose Journal is recognized as one of the classic......
Woolston, Thomas
Thomas Woolston was an English religious writer and Deist. Woolston became a fellow at the University of Cambridge......
Wovoka
Wovoka was a Native American religious leader who spawned the second messianic Ghost Dance cult, which spread rapidly......
Wright, Laura Maria Sheldon
Laura Maria Sheldon Wright was an American missionary who devoted her energies unstintingly to the education and......
Wu Li
Wu Li was a Chinese painter who was a member of the orthodox school of “literati painting” (wenrenhua) in the early......
Wulfstan
Wulfstan was the bishop of London, 996–1002, archbishop of York, 1002–23, and bishop of Worcester, 1002–16. He......
Wulfstan, Saint
Saint Wulfstan was the bishop of Worcester from 1062, the last surviving English holder of a bishopric after the......
Wycliffe, John
John Wycliffe was an English theologian, philosopher, church reformer, and promoter of the first complete translation......
Wykeham, William of
William of Wykeham was an English prelate and statesman, the founder of Winchester College and of New College,......
Wyszyński, Stefan
Stefan Wyszyński was the Polish archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw and primate of Poland. After study at Warsaw,......
Wāṣil ibn ʿAṭāʾ
Wāṣil ibn ʿAṭāʾ was a Muslim theologian considered the founder of the Muʿtazilah sect. As a young man Wāṣil went......
Wŏnhyo
Wŏnhyo was a Buddhist priest who is considered the greatest of the ancient Korean religious teachers. A renowned......
Xavier, St. Francis
St. Francis Xavier ; canonized March 12, 1622; feast day December 3) was the greatest Roman Catholic missionary......
Xenophanes
Xenophanes was a Greek poet and rhapsode, religious thinker, and reputed precursor of the Eleatic school of philosophy,......
Yacoub, Mor Ignatius, III
Mor Ignatius Yacoub III was a Syriac Orthodox patriarch of Antioch who combined scholarship and dedication with......
Yama
Yama, in Tibetan Buddhism, one of the eight fierce protective deities. See...
Yaḥyā
Yaḥyā was a Zaydī imam of Yemen from 1904 to 1948. When Yaḥyā was a child, Yemen was a province of the Ottoman......
Yaḥyā Ṣobḥ-e Azal, Mīrzā
Mīrzā Yaḥyā Ṣobḥ-e Azal was the half brother of Bahāʾ Ullāh (the founder of the Bahāʾī faith) and leader of his......
Yāsīn, ʿAbd al-Salām
ʿAbd al-Salām Yāsīn was a Moroccan religious leader. A former school inspector fluent in English and French, he......
Zaccaria, Saint Antonio Maria
Saint Antonio Maria Zaccaria ; canonized May 27, 1897; feast day July 5) was an Italian priest, physician, and......
Zamakhsharī, Abu al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʿUmar al-
Abu al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʿUmar al-Zamakhsharī was a Persian-born Arabic scholar whose chief work is Al-Kashshāf......
Zarathushtra
Zarathushtra was an Iranian religious reformer and prophet, traditionally regarded as the founder of Zoroastrianism.......
Zechariah
Zechariah was a Jewish prophet whose preachings are recorded in one of the shorter prophetical books in the Old......
Zedekiah
Zedekiah was the king of Judah (597–587/586 bc) whose reign ended in the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and......
Zephaniah
Zephaniah was an Israelite prophet, said to be the author of one of the shorter Old Testament prophetical books,......
Zephyrinus, St.
St. Zephyrinus ; feast day August 26) was the pope from about 199 to 217. Of humble birth, he succeeded Pope St.......
Zerubbabel
Zerubbabel was the governor of Judaea under whom the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple at Jerusalem took place. Of......
Zhiyi
Zhiyi was a Buddhist monk, founder of the eclectic Tiantai (Japanese: Tendai) Buddhist sect, which was named for......
Zigabenus, Euthymius
Euthymius Zigabenus was a Byzantine theologian, polemicist for Greek Orthodoxy, and biblical exegete whose encyclopaedic......
Zinzendorf, Nikolaus Ludwig, Graf von
Nikolaus Ludwig, count von Zinzendorf was a religious and social reformer of the German Pietist movement who, as......
Zophar
Zophar, in the Book of Job (2:11, 11:1, 20:1, 42:9), one of the three comforters of Job, a biblical archetype of......
Zosimus, Saint
Saint Zosimus ; feast day December 26) was the pope from March 417 to December 418. He was consecrated as Pope......
Zwingli, Huldrych
Huldrych Zwingli was the most important reformer in the Swiss Protestant Reformation. He founded the Swiss Reformed......
Ātmārāmjī
Ātmārāmjī , important Jain reformer and revivalist monk. He was born a Hindu but as a child came under the influence......
Śāntirakṣita
Śāntirakṣita was an Indian Buddhist teacher and saint who was instrumental in the development of Tibetan Buddhism.......
Ŭisang
Ŭisang was a Buddhist monk and founder of the Hwaŏm (Chinese: Hua-yen) sect of Korean Buddhism. He devoted himself......

Religious Personages & Scholars Encyclopedia Articles By Title