Famous Spanish Theologians

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 1 
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
(Priest, Confessor and Founder of the Society of Jesus)
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
5
Birthdate: October 23, 1491
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Azpeitia, Spain
Died: July 31, 1556

Saint Ignatius of Loyola was a  Spanish Basque Catholic priest and theologian in the 16th century. He was one of the founders of the religious order called the Society of Jesus and served as its first Superior General at Paris. He was an inspired spiritual director and the founder of what is today known as "Ignatian spirituality."

 2 
Isidore of Seville
(Spanish Scholar, Theologian, and Archbishop of Seville)
Isidore of Seville
4
Birthdate: 0560 AD
Birthplace: Cartagena, Spain
Died: April 4, 0636

Spanish scholar Isidore of Seville is widely remembered as the last of the Western Latin Fathers. His Etymologies was a chief reference book for years. The 7th-century archbishop of Sevilla wrote about varied subjects, such as religion, science, history, and linguistics. He had a major role in the Councils of Toledo.

 3 
Josemaría Escrivá
(Spanish Priest Who Founded the Organization 'Opus Dei')
Josemaría Escrivá
4
Birthdate: January 9, 1902
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Barbastro, Spain
Died: June 26, 1975

Josemaría Escrivá was a Spanish priest best remembered for founding an organization called Opus Dei. He is also remembered for authoring a book titled The Way. The book has been translated into many languages and has sold millions of copies around the world.

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Saint Teresa of Avila
6
Birthdate: March 28, 1515
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gotarrendura
Died: October 4, 1582

Teresa of Ávila, also known as Saint Teresa of Jesus, was a Spanish noblewoman who later turned into a Carmelite nun. She was posthumously named a Doctor of the Church. She co-established the Discalced Carmelite Order. Her written works include The Interior Castle and her own autobiography.

 5 
Michael Servetus
(Spanish Physician and Theologian Who was the First European to Correctly Describe the Function of Pulmonary Circulation)
Michael Servetus
5
Birthdate: September 29, 1509
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tudela, Spain
Died: October 27, 1553

Michael Servetus was a Spanish physician, Renaissance humanist, cartographer, and theologian. In 1553, he published a book titled Christianismi Restitutio in which he described the function of pulmonary circulation, becoming the first European to describe it accurately. A polymath, Michael Servetus was well-versed in many fields, such as mathematics, geography, meteorology, astronomy, human anatomy, pharmacology, medicine, poetry, jurisprudence, and translation.

 6 
Francisco de Vitoria
(Spanish Philosopher, Theologian, and Jurist of Renaissance Spain)
Francisco de Vitoria
3
Birthdate: 1483 AD
Birthplace: Burgos, Spain
Died: August 12, 1546

Francisco de Vitoria was a Spanish Roman Catholic theologian, philosopher, and jurist of Renaissance Spain. He founded the School of Salamanca, a tradition in philosophy. He made tremendous contributions to the theory of just war and international law. His works have been interpreted by various scholars to support contrary policies. He taught at the universities of Valladolid and of Salamanca. 

 7 
Francisco Suárez
(Leading Theological and Philosophical Light of Spain’s Golden Age)
Francisco Suárez
3
Birthdate: January 5, 1548
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Granada, Spain
Died: September 25, 1617

Spanish Jesuit priest, philosopher, and theologian Francisco Suárez was born to an affluent lawyer and had initially studied law. However, he joined the Jesuits later, following which he taught philosophy and theology. Known for writing Disputationes Metaphysicae, he was a prime figure of the School of Salamanca movement.

 8 
Luis de Molina
(Spanish Scholastic and Jesuit Priest)
Luis de Molina
2
Birthdate: September 29, 1535
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cuenca, Spain
Died: October 12, 1600
 9 
Raimon Panikkar
(Spanish Roman Catholic Priest)
Raimon Panikkar
3
Birthdate: November 2, 1918
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Barcelona, Spain
Died: August 26, 2010

Born to a Spanish Catholic mother and an Indian Hindu father in Barcelona, Raimon Panikkar grew up to be a Catholic priest and a philosophy professor. An expert in comparative religion, he compared the tenets of Catholicism and Hinduism in his doctoral thesis. He also penned several spiritual texts.

 10 
Ignacio Ellacuría
(Jesuit Philosopher and One of the Principle Contributors to Latin American Liberation Theology)
Ignacio Ellacuría
2
Birthdate: November 9, 1930
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Portugalete, Spain
Died: November 16, 1989

Spanish-Salvadoran Jesuit priest and human rights activist Ignacio Ellacuría contributed massively to the development of Latin America’s liberation theology. While teaching at the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, he also faced severe army backlash for his political activism. He was eventually assassinated by an elite army unit.

 11 
Miguel de Molinos
(Spanish Mystic)
Miguel de Molinos
2
Birthdate: June 29, 1628
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Spain
Died: December 29, 1696

Seventeenth-century Spanish mystic and priest Miguel de Molinos propagated an extreme type of Quietism through his book Spiritual Guide. He believed people should sacrifice their individual wills to make way for God’s will. He was eventually imprisoned for heresy and died in custody, amid rumors of sexual misconduct.

 12 
Xavier Zubiri
(Spanish Philosopher Known for His Analysis of Reality in Terms of the Interrelations of Philosophy, Science, and Religion)
Xavier Zubiri
2
Birthdate: December 4, 1898
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Donostia–San Sebastián, Spain
Died: September 21, 1983

Xavier Zubiri was a prominent member of the Madrid school of Spanish philosophers. While he initially studied theology and philosophy, Zubiri was also well-versed in physics and biology. His works such as Intelligence and Logos and Nature, History, God studied reality as a mixture of science, religion, and philosophy.

 13 
Jaime Balmes
(Spanish Philosopher, Theologian, Catholic Apologist, Sociologist and Political Writer)
Jaime Balmes
2
Birthdate: August 28, 1810
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vic, Catalonia, Spain
Died: July 9, 1848

Spanish philosopher Jaime Luciano Balmes is best known for iconic work Protestantism and Catholicism Compared in Their Effect on the Civilization of Europe, penned in defense of Catholicism. An expert in civil and canon law, he initially taught math and physics, and was criticized by Catholics for being too liberal.

 14 
Nicholas Eymerich
(Theologian)
Nicholas Eymerich
1
Birthdate: 1316 AD
Birthplace: Girona, Spain
Died: January 4, 1399
 15 
Joseph Blanco White
(Theologian)
Joseph Blanco White
1
Birthdate: July 11, 1775
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sevilla, Spain
Died: May 20, 1841
 16 
Simeon ben Zemah Duran
(Spanish Rabbi and Theologian)
Simeon ben Zemah Duran
1
Birthdate: 1361 AD
Birthplace: Majorca, Spain
Died: 1444 AD

Simeon ben Zemah Duran was the first Spanish Jewish rabbi to earn a regular salary from the community, going against the trend of the rabbi’s post being honorary. He excelled in subjects such as philosophy, math, and medicine, and is best remembered for his commentary Magen Avot.

 17 
Antonio Escobar y Mendoza
(Writer)
Antonio Escobar y Mendoza
1
Birthdate: 1589 AD
Birthplace: Valladolid, Spain
Died: July 4, 1669
 18 
Melchor Cano
(Theologian)
Melchor Cano
1
Birthdate: January 6, 1509
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Spain
Died: September 30, 1560
 19 
Luis Ladaria Ferrer
(Cardinal, Theologian)
Luis Ladaria Ferrer
3
Birthdate: April 19, 1944
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Manacor, Spain
 20 
Enrique Flórez
(Spanish Historian and Numismatist)
Enrique Flórez
0
Birthdate: July 21, 1702
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Valladolid, Spain
Died: August 20, 1773
 21 
Felix
(Spanish Bishop)
Felix
0
Birthplace: Spain
Died: 0818 AD

One of the most significant figures of Adoptionism, a form of christology, Felix had been the bishop of Urgell in 8th-century Spain. Most of his works, including the iconic Against the Saracen, were later destroyed or were practically lost. Accused of heresy, he was exiled and later died in Lyon.

 22 
Bartolomé de Medina
(Theologian)
Bartolomé de Medina
0
Birthdate: 1527 AD
Birthplace: Medina de Rioseco, Spain
Died: 1581 AD
 23 
Bartolomé Carranza
(Priest)
Bartolomé Carranza
1
Birthdate: 1503 AD
Birthplace: Miranda de Arga, Spain
Died: May 2, 1576

Dominican theologian Bartolomé Carranza had also been the archbishop of Toledo. Known for works such as Summa conciliorum and Quattuor controversiae, he was charged with heresy and imprisoned for almost 17 years during the Spanish Inquisition. He died 18 days after being acquitted due to lack of proof.