Image
Name(s)
Birth
Death
Cause of Death
Education
Vocation(s)
Associated Tradition
Works
Overview
James Arminius; Jacobus Arminius; Jacob Hermansz
1560
Oudewater, Netherlands
1609
Leiden, Netherlands
Natural causes
Leiden, Basel, Geneva
professor at Leiden, theologian
Reformed
Orations; Declaration of Sentiments; Apology; Disputations
Rejected Calvinist predestination; laid theological foundation for John Wesley.
Theodore Beza
1519
1605
Natural causes
Orleans
professor of Greek at Geneva, minister, theologian
Reformed
Confession of the Christian Faith; On the Rights of Magistrates
Succeeded Calvin as religious leader of Geneva. Hardened Calvin's doctrine of predestination. Discovered Codex Bezae.
Martin Bucer; Martin Butzer
1491
Feb. 28, 1551
Cambridge, England
Natural causes; body exhumed and burnt in 1557.
Heidelberg
former Dominican monk, professor of Divinity at Cambridge
Lutheran
Known as the Peacemaker of the Reformation. Humanist. Led Reformation in Strasbourg. Tried to reconcile Lutherans, Reformed and Catholics.
Heinrich Bullinger
Jul. 18, 1504
Bremgarten, Switzerland
Sept. 17, 1575
Zurich, Switzerland
Natural causes
Cologne
theologian
Reformed
first and second Helvetic Confessions
Influenced by Erasmus, Luther, Melanchthon. Succeeded Zwingli at Zurich. Opposed presbyterianism.
John Calvin; Jean Cauvin
1509
Noyon,
France
1564
Geneva, Switzerland
Natural causes
Paris and Orleans
professor, minister
Reformed
Institutes of the Christian Religion
Led Geneva; developed doctrine of sovereignty of God
1489
Nottinghamshire, England
Mar. 21, 1556
Oxford, England
Burned at the stake
Cambridge
Anglican
first and second Book of Common Prayer; Thirty-Nine Articles
Played large role in English Reformation. Involved in Henry VIII's divorce; was burned at the stake under Queen Mary after recanting his recantation.
Thomas Cromwell
c. 1485
July 28, 1540
Beheaded for treason
unknown
Member of Parliament, vicar-general
Anglican
none
Supervised dissolution of monasteries. Attempted marriage alliance between Henry VIII and German Lutherans.
Desiderius Erasmus; Erasmus of Rotterdam; Erasmus Roterodamus
c. 1469
Rotterdam, Netherlands
1536
Basel, Switzerland
Natural causes
Gouda and Deventer
humanist scholar
Catholic
Praise of Folly; Handbook of the Christian Soldier; Complaint of Peace; On Free Will
Moderate reformer; witty satirist; translated Latin Bible into Greek.
George Fox
1624
Fenny Drayton, Leicestershire, England
Jan. 13, 1691
Natural causes
none
shoemaker
Quaker
Journal
Founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Emphasized the Inner Light of Christ. Frequent missionary journeys.
Jan Hus; John Huss
1373
Husinec, Czech Republic
July 6, 1415
Constance, Germany
Burned at the stake
Prague
priest, professor of philosophy at Prague
Catholic (pre-Reformation)
Influenced by Wycliffe. Emphasized right living over sacraments. Opposed veneration of images and indulgences. Became national hero.
John Knox
c. 1514
Haddington, Scotland
1572
Natural causes
Glasgow and St. Andrews
priest, notary, private tutor, preacher
Reformed
The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women; History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland
Went to Geneva in 1553, influenced by Calvin. Returned to Scotland in 1559 and led Scottish Reformation.
Hugh Latimer
c. 1485
Oct. 16, 1555
Oxford, England
Burned at the stake
Cambridge
Bishop of Worcester
Anglican
Many sermons; most famous is "Of the Plough"
Twice imprisoned by Henry VIII. Leading preacher under Edward VI. Burned at the stake under Mary Tudor.
Martin Luther; Martin Luder
1483
Eisleben, Germany
1546
Eisleben, Germany
Natural causes
Leipzig
professor, priest
Lutheran
95 Theses; Freedom of a Christian; Bondage of the Will; Smaller and Larger Catechisms
Sparked the Reformation by protesting against indulgences. Taught justification by faith alone, authority of scripture alone. Married former nun.
Philip Melanchthon; Philip Schwartzerdt ("Black earth")
1497
1560
Natural causes
Heidelberg and Tubingen
professor of Greek at Wittenberg
Lutheran
Loci Communes
Luther's colleague at Wittenburg. Attempted reconciliation with Reformed and Catholics. Systematized Luther's theology.
Nicholas Ridley
c. 1500
1555
Burned at the stake
Cambridge
chaplain to Cranmer and Henry VIII, Bishop of London
Helped produce Book of Common Prayer
Burned at the stake with Latimer.
Menno Simons
1496
1561
Natural causes
parish priest
Anabaptist (Mennonite)
Taught believers' baptism, non-resistance, symbolic Eucharist. Founder of Mennonites.
Philip Jakob Spener
1635
Alsace
1705
Natural causes
Strasbourg
preacher
Lutheran, Pietist
Pia Desideria
Founder of Pietism.
William Tyndale; William Tindale; William Huchyns
c. 1494
Oct. 6, 1536
Brussels, Belgium
Strangled and burned at the stake
Oxford and Cambridge
translator
Anglican
English translation of NT; Obedience of a Christian Man; Parable of the Wicked Mammon
Lived in exile on the Continent, where he published English NT. Executed.
John Wesley
June 17, 1703
Epworth, Lincolnshire, England
Mar. 2, 1791
London, England
Natural causes
Oxford
Anglican minister, founder of Methodism
Anglican, Methodist
A Plain Account of Christian Perfection; Advice to a People Called Methodist
Founded Methodism; adopted Arminian doctrine of free will; emphasized sanctification.
John Wycliffe; John Wyclif
c. 1330
Yorkshire, England
Dec. 31, 1384
Oxford, England
Natural causes; body exhumed and burnt in 1415
Oxford
professor, theologian, philosopher at Oxford
Catholic (pre-Reformation)
On the Church; On the Truth of Sacred Scripture
Translated Bible into English; rejected many Catholic practices; sent out preachers called Lollards. Posthumously declared heretic .
Ulrich Zwingli; Huldrych Zwingli
Jan. 1, 1484
Wildhaus, Switzerland
Oct. 11, 1531
Kappel (near Zurich), Switzerland
Killed in battle against Catholic cantons.
Bern, Vienna and Basel
priest, military chaplain, People's Preacher at Zurich's Old Minster
Reformed
On True and False Religion; 67 Conclusions; Concerning Freedom and Choice of Food; The Clarity and Certainty of the Word of God
Introduced reformation ideas to Zurich and throughout Switzerland. Said nothing should be believed or practiced that is not in the Bible. Argued with Luther over the Eucharist. Persecuted Anabaptists.