Famous American Theologians

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 1 
Thomas Merton
(Writer & theologian was ordained to the Catholic priesthood and given the name "Father Louis".)
Thomas Merton
9
Birthdate: January 31, 1915
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Prades, France
Died: December 10, 1968

American Trappist monk and theologian Thomas Merton was ordained a priest and named Father Louis. He was a member of the monastery Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani. He is remembered for his bestselling autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, and for his study of Eastern religions such as Buddhism.

 2 
Reinhold Niebuhr
(American Reformed Theologian, Ethicist and Commentator on Politics and Public Affairs)
Reinhold Niebuhr
6
Birthdate: June 21, 1892
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Wright City, Missouri, United States
Died: June 1, 1971
An American Reformed theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr wrote and spoke frequently about the intersection of religion, politics, and public policy. He is widely known for his philosophical perspective known as Christian Realism and his book Moral Man and Immoral Society. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 and the Time magazine posthumously called him "the greatest Protestant theologian in America since Jonathan Edwards."
 3 
Francis Chan
(Theologian, Author)
Francis Chan
13
Birthdate: August 31, 1967
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hong Kong

The Cornerstone Church and Eternity Bible College founder Francis Chan is a popular Protestant preacher. Apart from authoring the New York Times bestseller Crazy Love, Francis has also penned children’s books such as Halfway Herbert and Ronnie Wilson's Gift. He has also co-launched the discipleship movement named Multiply.

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 4 
Francis Schaeffer
(Theologian, Philosopher)
Francis Schaeffer
5
Birthdate: January 30, 1912
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia
Died: May 15, 1984

Francis Schaeffer was an American philosopher, evangelical theologian, and Presbyterian pastor. He is credited with co-founding the L'Abri community, an evangelical Christian organization, along with his wife Edith Schaeffer. Francis Schaeffer's work has influenced several Christian conservative leaders like Tim LaHaye as well as members of the L'Abri community.

 5 
William Lane Craig
(Philosopher, Theologian, University teacher, Writer)
William Lane Craig
11
Birthdate: August 23, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Peoria
William Lane Craig is an American analytic philosopher and theologian who is known for defending the Kalam cosmological argument for the existence of God. He has authored or edited over 30 books, and a hundred articles in professional journals. Craig is a professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist University and Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology.
 6 
Richard Allen
(American Clergyman Who was the First Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church)
Richard Allen
3
Birthdate: February 14, 1760
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: March 26, 1831

Born to slave parents, American clergyman Richard Allen became a Methodist convert at 22. He later founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church and served as its first bishop. Apart from establishing the first church for Blacks in the U.S., he worked on various aspects to improve the lives of Blacks.

 7 
John F. MacArthur
(Author)
John F. MacArthur
12
Birthdate: June 19, 1939
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

John F. MacArthur is an American author and pastor best known for his television and radio program Grace to You which is broadcast all over the world. MacArthur has been playing an important role in the prosperity of a non-denominational, evangelical megachurch called Grace Community Church where he has been serving as a pastor-teacher since 1969.

 8 
Max Lucado
(Theologian, Writer)
Max Lucado
12
Birthdate: January 11, 1955
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: San Angelo
A best-selling author and pastor at Oak Hills Church, Max Lucado is known for combining poetic storytelling and homespun humor. With over 120 million copies sold in 54 languages, Max is dubbed as America’s Pastor. He received three Gold Medallion Book of the Year awards for his books, Just Like Jesus, In the Grip of Grace, and When God Whispers Your Name.
 9 
Paul Tillich
(Christian Existentialist Philosopher and One of the Most Influential Theologians of the 20th Century)
Paul Tillich
4
Birthdate: August 20, 1886
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Starosiedle, Poland
Died: October 22, 1965

German-American theologian and philosopher Paul Tillich is remembered for his work in the field of Christian existentialism and for concepts such as the method of correlation. His notable works, such as The Courage to Be and the three-volume Systematic Theology, has inspired intellectual thinkers and commoners alike.

 10 
R. C. Sproul
(American Theologian, Philosopher and Non-Fiction Writer)
R. C. Sproul
5
Birthdate: February 13, 1939
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: December 14, 2017

R. C. Sproul was a Reformed theologian. He was an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America and also the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries. He has been described as the greatest proponent of the recovery of Reformed theology in the 20th century. He was a popular speaker and a  co-pastor at Saint Andrew's Chapel as well.  

 11 
Edward Everett
(Former American senator)
Edward Everett
4
Birthdate: April 11, 1794
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Died: January 15, 1865

Edward Everett was an American politician, diplomat, educator, pastor, and orator. Widely regarded as one of the great orators of the Civil War and antebellum eras, Everett is remembered for his two-hour speech at the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg in 1863, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his popular Gettysburg Address. Edward Everett also taught ancient Greek literature at Harvard University.

 12 
Peter L. Berger
(American Sociologist and Protestant Theologian)
Peter L. Berger
4
Birthdate: March 17, 1929
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: June 27, 2017

Born in Austria, Peter L. Berger initially moved to Palestine and eventually to the U.S. after World War II. While aspiring to be a Lutheran minister, he ended up being a sociologist. He taught at various institutes, such as Boston University, and penned the iconic book The Social Construction of Reality.

 13 
Jonathan Edwards
(Preacher, Theologian, Philosopher)
Jonathan Edwards
4
Birthdate: October 5, 1703
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: East Windsor, Connecticut, United States
Died: March 22, 1758

Jonathan Edwards was an American philosopher, revivalist preacher, and Congregationalist Protestant theologian. Considered one of America's most prominent and influential philosophical theologians, Jonathan Edwards played a major role in shaping the Evangelical Revival of the 1730s and 1740s. His theological work is credited with paving the way for a new school of theology called the New England theology.

 14 
Alvin Plantinga
(Theologian, Philosopher, University teacher)
Alvin Plantinga
4
Birthdate: November 15, 1932
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ann Arbor

Alvin Plantinga is an analytic philosopher best known for his work in the fields of epistemology, philosophy of religion, and logic. He has also served as a professor at institutions like the University of Notre Dame. From 1983 to 1986, he served as the Society of Christian Philosophers' president and is sometimes regarded as the greatest Christian philosopher alive.

 15 
Joseph Smith Jr.
(Religious Leader and Founder of 'Mormonism' and the Latter Day Saint Movement)
Joseph Smith Jr.
21
Birthdate: December 23, 1805
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Sharon, Vermont, United States
Died: May 27, 1844

Religious leader Joseph Smith Jr. is known as the founder of the Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. He also published the Book of Mormon. He established his communities in Ohio and Missouri and eventually founded the city Nauvoo in Illinois, which became the center of his spiritual activities.

 16 
Theodore McCarrick
(Priest)
Theodore McCarrick
9
Birthdate: July 7, 1930
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York City, United States

Theodore McCarrick is a former cardinal and laicized bishop of the Catholic Church. He became the first cardinal to resign from the College of Cardinals because of sexual abuse claims in July 2018. Known as a champion of progressive Catholicism and social justice causes, McCarrick was found guilty of sexual crimes and abuse of power. He was dismissed from clergy in 2019.

 17 
Norman Geisler
(American Christian Systematic Theologian, Philosopher and Apologist)
Norman Geisler
3
Birthdate: July 21, 1932
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Warren, Michigan, United States
Died: July 1, 2019
 18 
John Ortberg
(Author, Theologian, Psychologist)
John Ortberg
7
Birthdate: May 5, 1957
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rockford

John Ortberg is an evangelical Christian speaker and author. A prolific writer, John Ortberg's book If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat won the 2002 Christianity Today Book Award. In 2008, his book When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box won the ECPA Christian Book Award.

 19 
Elaine Pagels
(American Historian of Religion Known for Her Extensive Research into Early Christianity and Gnosticism)
Elaine Pagels
11
Birthdate: February 13, 1943
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States

Elaine Pagels is an American historian who serves as a professor at Princeton University. Pagels, who is credited with conducting extensive research into Gnosticism and early Christianity, came up with the influential book The Gnostic Gospels. The book has been named among the 100 best books of the 20th century by Modern Library.

 20 
Theodore Parker
(American Transcendentalist and Reforming Minister of the Unitarian Church)
Theodore Parker
4
Birthdate: August 24, 1810
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lexington, Massachusetts, United States
Died: May 10, 1860

Theodore Parker was an American transcendentalist minister whose words and quotations would later help inspire popular speeches of the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. A reformer and abolitionist, Parker played a key role in fighting against such laws as the Fugitive Slave Act.

 21 
Walter Brueggemann
(theologian, university teacher)
Walter Brueggemann
4
Birthdate: March 11, 1933
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tilden
 22 
Stanley Hauerwas
(American Theologian, Ethicist and Public Intellectual)
Stanley Hauerwas
5
Birthdate: July 24, 1940
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, United States
 23 
Avery Dulles
(Jesuit Priest, Theologian and Cardinal of the Catholic Church)
Avery Dulles
6
Birthdate: August 24, 1918
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Auburn, New York, United States
Died: December 12, 2008

Avery Dulles was a Jesuit priest, cardinal of the Catholic Church, and theologian. Renowned for his skills as an author and lecturer, Dulles was associated with Woodstock College and the Catholic University of America from 1960 to 1974 and from 1974 to 1988, respectively. Over the course of his illustrious career, Avery Dulles received several prestigious honors and awards.

 24 
Mary Daly
(Philosopher)
Mary Daly
7
Birthdate: October 16, 1928
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Schenectady, New York, United States
Died: January 3, 2010
 25 
Gregory A. Boyd
(American Theologian, Pastor and Author)
Gregory A. Boyd
3
Birthdate: June 2, 1957
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: United States

An advocate of Anabaptism and pacifism, pastor Gregory A. Boyd is associated with the Woodland Hills Church and also leads Reknew.org. He has also penned books such as Seeing is Believing and The Myth of a Christian Nation, teaches theology at Bethel College, and has appeared on TV and radio shows.

 26 
John Hagee
(American Pastor and Televangelist)
John Hagee
20
Birthdate: April 12, 1940
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Baytown, Texas, United States

The founder of the John Hagee Ministries and the Christians United for Israel, John Hagee has also established the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. He has penned several bestsellers, such as Absolute Power, and is also known for his controversial concepts, such as the blood moon prophecy.

 27 
H. Richard Niebuhr
(Theologian)
H. Richard Niebuhr
4
Birthdate: September 3, 1894
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wright City, Missouri, United States
Died: July 5, 1962
 28 
Jeremiah Wright
(Theologian)
Jeremiah Wright
17
Birthdate: September 22, 1941
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Philadelphia

Dr. Jeremiah Wright had initially served the Marine Corps before joining the U.S. Navy as a cardiopulmonary technician. He has also been a professor, and his research interests include Black Sacred Music and African diaspora studies. He also led the Trinity United Church of Christ as a pastor.

 29 
Walter Rauschenbusch
(American Theologian and Baptist Pastor)
Walter Rauschenbusch
7
Birthdate: October 4, 1861
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, United States
Died: July 25, 1918

Walter Rauschenbusch was an American Baptist pastor and theologian. He played an important role in the single tax and Social Gospel movements by propagating the importance of theology through his book A Theology for the Social Gospel which he published in 1917. Walter Rauschenbusch's work influenced prominent personalities like Martin Luther King Jr., Norman Thomas, Desmond Tutu, and James McClendon.

 30 
John Dominic Crossan
(Irish-American New Testament Scholar, Historian of Early Christianity and Former Catholic Priest)
John Dominic Crossan
6
Birthdate: February 17, 1934
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland

Irish-American theologian John Dominic Crossan, who has previously been a Roman Catholic priest, was also associated with the Jesus Seminar. It is believed, he had quit Catholic priesthood to marry Margaret, his professor wife, and had then focused on teaching and writing. His written works include Who Killed Jesus?

 31 
Francis Asbury
(American Bishop)
Francis Asbury
3
Birthdate: August 20, 1745
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hamstead Bridge, Staffordshire, England
Died: March 31, 1816

Francis Asbury was a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He played an important role during the Second Great Awakening, popularizing Methodism in British colonial America. He is credited with establishing many schools and his journal is deemed important by scholars due to its account of frontier society; his journal has descriptions of the functioning of towns in Colonial America.

 32 
Harry Emerson Fosdick
(American Pastor)
Harry Emerson Fosdick
3
Birthdate: May 24, 1878
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York, United States
Died: October 5, 1969

Pastor Harry Emerson Fosdick was a major figure in the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy of Protestantism in the U.S. He served as a pastor at New York’s Riverside Church and First Presbyterian Church and was an advocate of pastoral counseling. He had also written books such as The Manhood of the Master.

 33 
Irvin Baxter Jr.
(Televangelist)
Irvin Baxter Jr.
5
Birthdate: July 8, 1945
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Richmond, Indiana, United States
Died: November 3, 2020
 34 
Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi
(Educator, Theologian)
Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi
1
Birthdate: 1975 AD
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States
 35 
Jim Wallis
(Theologian)
Jim Wallis
7
Birthdate: June 4, 1948
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, US
 36 
C. I. Scofield
(Theologian)
C. I. Scofield
3
Birthdate: August 19, 1843
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Michigan, United States
Died: July 24, 1921
 37 
Johnny Lee Clary
(Theologian)
Johnny Lee Clary
6
Birthdate: June 18, 1959
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Martinez
Died: October 21, 2014

A prominent 1980s’ wrestling champion, Johnny Lee Clary later came to be known as Johnny Angel. He had been part of the Ku Klux Klan and had also appeared on shows such as Oprah, where he defended racism. He later renounced the Klan and became a Christian evangelist.

 38 
Nicholas Wolterstorff
(Philosopher, Theologian)
Nicholas Wolterstorff
3
Birthdate: January 21, 1932
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bigelow
 39 
Richard Foster
(Theologian best known for his 1978 book Celebration of Discipline)
Richard Foster
4
Birthdate: 1942 AD
Birthplace: New Mexico, United States
 40 
Charles Hartshorne
(Philosopher)
Charles Hartshorne
2
Birthdate: June 5, 1897
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kittanning, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: October 9, 2000
 41 
Thomas J.J. Altizer
(Theologian)
Thomas J.J. Altizer
2
Birthdate: September 28, 1927
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Virginia, United States
Died: November 28, 2018
 42 
Albert Barnes
(Theologian)
Albert Barnes
4
Birthdate: December 1, 1798
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Rome, New York, United States
Died: December 24, 1870
 43 
Martin E. Marty
(Historian of religion)
Martin E. Marty
2
Birthdate: February 5, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: West Point, Nebraska, United States
 44 
Charles Hodge
(Theologian)
Charles Hodge
3
Birthdate: December 27, 1797
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: June 19, 1878
 45 
Jacob Neusner
(American Academic Scholar of Judaism)
Jacob Neusner
2
Birthdate: July 28, 1932
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Died: October 8, 2016

Jacob Neusner redefined the study of Judaism in the U.S. at a time when theological studies focused on Christianity. A Harvard alumnus, he later attended the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He not only ushered in new techniques of critical examination of Judaism but also translated countless Jewish texts.

 46 
Richard John Neuhaus
(Cleric)
Richard John Neuhaus
3
Birthdate: May 14, 1936
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pembroke, Canada
Died: January 8, 2009
 47 
Jaroslav Pelikan
(Historian)
Jaroslav Pelikan
3
Birthdate: December 17, 1923
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Akron, Ohio, United States
Died: May 13, 2006

Jaroslav Pelikan was a scholar of the history of Christianity and Christian theology. He earned a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. He joined Yale University in 1962 and had a brilliant academic career. He was the author of more than 30 books. He was a recipient of the John W. Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Human Sciences. 

 48 
Murray, John Courtney
(American theologian)
Murray, John Courtney
2
Birthdate: September 12, 1904
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Died: August 16, 1967
 49 
Isaac Mayer Wise
(American Reform Rabbi Who Served as The Rabbi of the Congregation Beth-El of Albany)
Isaac Mayer Wise
2
Birthdate: March 29, 1819
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Lomnička, Czechia
Died: March 26, 1900

Isaac Mayer Wise was an American Reform rabbi, author, and editor. He is best remembered for his service as the rabbi of the congregation Beth-El of Albany. In this capacity, Isaac Mayer Wise effected many changes, such as the consent for having a mixed-sex choir, allowing women and men to sit together in family pews, and elimination of Bar Mitzvah.

 50 
Calvin Ellis Stowe
(Biblical scholar)
Calvin Ellis Stowe
2
Birthdate: April 6, 1802
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Natick, Massachusetts, United States
Died: August 22, 1886