Who are the most influential Christians ever?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kenl314
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
K

kenl314

Guest
Speaking about the post-Apostolic period.
We sought to ask and answer that question, which is a tough one. Details will be forthcoming in a pending book, but here is a list of some of our findings, as we eventually rank the Top 10 Christians who most shaped today’s universal Church:
15- Martin Chemnitz
14- Pope JP2
13- Philip Melanchthon
12- King James I

The findings were primarily determined via a recent broadbased and multidenominational survey, comprised of both Catholics and Protestants.
Any comments? Thoughts? Opinions on the names?
Blessings,
Ken
“Top Ten Most Influential Christians”
 
The Blessed Virgin - the most invoked saint (pretty sure)
Saint John Chrysotom
Saint John Vianney
Saint Thomas Aquinas - a prominent Church Doctor
Saint Augustine
Saint Don Bosco - founder of the Salesians
Saint Claire - one of the most well-known female saints
Saint Maria Goretti - same as Saint Claire
 
Interesting question. I would expect to see many of the reformers, Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. Their influence can be argued as good or bad but there is no denying their impact on the current landscape of Christianity. And if Chemnitz is on there there is zero chance Luther wouldn’t be on there. Also I would expect to see more contemporary Christians like C.S. Lewis and maybe Tolkien. where’s the rest of the list?

God bless
 
And Gregory Palamas (Eastern Saint and pretty much the equivalent of St. Thomas Aquinas in the East)??
 
Yehuda_Dion said:
The Blessed Virgin - the most invoked saint (pretty sure)
Click to expand...
He said post-Apostolic :p. Otherwise, The Apostles definitely rank as the most influential Christians in the entire human history.

The Blessed Virgin is most certainly the most revered Christian as well as woman in all human History, plus the 2nd most revered Jew after Christ. I don’t know if the Jews have any one they revere to the same extent we do to Christ and his mother, but even so- we are many more so they would still be the two most revered Jews in human History.
 
Hello all- good suggestions, and comments. Well, can’t give away all the names yet- but will shortly after the book launch- early March.
More info on how we arrived at these names and how the survey was conducted can be found on our Blog- which I don’t think I can link to here. You can Google my topic subject line if you want to find it.
It was fun and interesting to see who “we” (Christian leaders and writers of all walks in America) perceived to be the most influential on the (universal) Church.
Sure, there are reformers on the list. No doubt. Where they fall exactly? Coming soon. I think those “rankings” will interest people as well.
Constantine got many votes, as did St. Augustine… I’ll leave it there for now.
Our goal is more than just to post a ranking- but to delve into these figures a bit. As such the book has 10 mini- biographies about the “top 10”.
Thanks, and God Bless,
Ken
 
What about St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits? They pretty much were responsible for the Catholic counter-reformation after Luther’s reformation, that saw the catholic church regain many lost lands and people it had lost to the protestants- I think the evangelical efforts after that (of the catholic Church) outside Europe can in big ways be credited to him alongside St. Francis Xavier and another Saint I’ve currently forgotten, with whom they built the new orders that basically saved the church from being swallowed by the new protestant movement.
 
kenl314 said:
Speaking about the post-Apostolic period.
We sought to ask and answer that question, which is a tough one. Details will be forthcoming in a pending book, but here is a list of some of our findings, as we eventually rank the Top 10 Christians who most shaped today’s universal Church:
15- Martin Chemnitz
14- Pope JP2
13- Philip Melanchthon
12- King James I

The findings were primarily determined via a recent broadbased and multidenominational survey, comprised of both Catholics and Protestants.
Any comments? Thoughts? Opinions on the names?
Blessings,
Ken
“Top Ten Most Influential Christians”
Click to expand...
great idea for a book…with the right people, it would be fuel for an enjoyable debate/discussion that could go on forever. What did you do with a consideration such as: Augustine influenced Calvin, so how much of Calvin’s influence should also be credited to Augustine?
 
St. Francis Xavier. Wasn’t he the most-travelled missionary ever?

Never heard of #13 or #15.
 
Saint Paul would have to top the list. After that Saint Peter.

Post-Apostles (off the top of my head):

Thomas Aquinas
St. Anselm
St. Augustine
St. Basil
St Teresa of Avila
St. Leo, the Great
St. John of the Cross
St. Ambrose
St. Catherine of Siena
St. John Chrysostom
Martin Luther
John Calvin
 
svid2 said:
St. Francis Xavier. Wasn’t he the most-travelled missionary ever?

Never heard of #13 or #15.
Click to expand...

13, Philip Melanchthon, was a contemporary and colleague of Luther’s. He wrote a number of sections of the early Lutheran confessions, such as the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, and the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope​

#15, Martin Chemnitz, was perhaps the leading second generation Lutheran theologian. He was deeply involved in the writing of the Formula of Concord, part of the Lutheran Confessions - The Book of Concord, and "Examination of the Council of Trent.

Jon
 
There are many candidates for the Top Ten, but if the list is a little longer then I would hope to see G K Chesterton on there. 👍
 
My list of the post-Apostolic period would include:
St. John Chrysostom
St Augustine
The Desert Fathers
Martin Luther
Martin Chemnitz
Philipp Melanchton
King James
John Calvin
 
kenl314 said:
Speaking about the post-Apostolic period.
We sought to ask and answer that question, which is a tough one. Details will be forthcoming in a pending book, but here is a list of some of our findings, as we eventually rank the Top 10 Christians who most shaped today’s universal Church:
15- Martin Chemnitz
14- Pope JP2
13- Philip Melanchthon
12- King James I

The findings were primarily determined via a recent broadbased and multidenominational survey, comprised of both Catholics and Protestants.
Any comments? Thoughts? Opinions on the names?
Blessings,
Ken
“Top Ten Most Influential Christians”
Click to expand...
I would have to say Archbishop Cranmer, C.S. Lewis, Richard Hooker, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Queen Elizabeth II, and possibly Bonhoffer would have to be on my list.
 
I’d have to consider William Tyndale for his contribution to the King James Version of the Bible.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top