Church Father, Father of the Church, Father - (Christianity) any of about 70 theologians in the period from the 2nd to the 7th century whose writing established and confirmed official church doctrine; in the Roman Catholic Church some were later declared saints and became Doctor of the Church; the best known Lation Church Fathers are Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and Jerome; those who wrote in Greek include Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, and John Chrysostom

Doctor of the Church, Doctor - (Roman Catholic Church) a title conferred on 33 saints who distinguished themselves through the othodoxy of their theological teaching; "the Doctors of the Church greatly influenced Christian thought down to the late Middle Ages"

eschatologist - a theologian who specializes in eschatology

futurist - a theologian who believes that the Scripture prophecies of the Apocalypse (as in the Book of Revelations) will be fulfilled in the future

presentist - a theologian who believes that the Scripture prophecies of the Apocalypse (as in the Book of Revelations) are being fulfilled at the present time

preterist - a theologian who believes that the Scripture prophecies of the Apocalypse (as in the Book of Revelations) have already been fulfilled

scholar, scholarly person, student - a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines

Abelard, Peter Abelard, Pierre Abelard - French philosopher and theologian; lover of Heloise (1079-1142)

Ambrose, Saint Ambrose, St. Ambrose - (Roman Catholic Church) Roman priest who became bishop of Milan; the first Church Father born and raised in the Christian faith; composer of hymns; imposed orthodoxy on the early Christian church and built up its secular power; a saint and Doctor of the Church (340?-397)

Aquinas, Saint Thomas Aquinas, St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas, St. Thomas, Saint Thomas - (Roman Catholic Church) Italian theologian and Doctor of the Church who is remembered for his attempt to reconcile faith and reason in a comprehensive theology; presented philosophical proofs of the existence of God (1225-1274)

Arius - a Greek who was a Christian theologian active in Alexandria and who was declared a heretic for his doctrines about God (which came to be known as Arianism) (256?-336)

Arminius, Jacob Harmensen, Jacobus Arminius, Jakob Hermandszoon - Dutch Protestant theologian who founded Arminianism which opposed the absolute predestinarianism of John Calvin (1559-1609)

Athanasius, Athanasius the Great, Saint Athanasius, St. Athanasius - (Roman Catholic Church) Greek patriarch of Alexandria who championed Christian orthodoxy against Arianism; a Church father, saint, and Doctor of the Church (293-373)

Augustine, Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustine, St. Augustine - (Roman Catholic Church) one of the great fathers of the early Christian church; after a dramatic conversion to Christianity he became Bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa; St. Augustine emphasized man's need for grace (354-430)

Barth, Karl Barth - Swiss Protestant theologian (1886-1968)

Basil of Caesarea, Basil the Great, St. Basil, St. Basil the Great, Basil - (Roman Catholic Church) the bishop of Caesarea who defended the Church against the heresies of the 4th century; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-379)

Baeda, Beda, Bede, Saint Baeda, Saint Beda, Saint Bede, St. Baeda, St. Beda, St. Bede, the Venerable Bede - (Roman Catholic Church) English monk and scholar (672-735)

Bellarmine, Bellarmino, Cardinal Bellarmine, Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmine - Italian cardinal and theologian (1542-1621)

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer - German Lutheran theologian and pastor whose works concern Christianity in the modern world; an active opponent of Nazism, he was arrested and sent to Buchenwald and later executed (1906-1945)

Bultmann, Rudolf Bultmann, Rudolf Karl Bultmann - a Lutheran theologian in Germany (1884-1976)

Jean Caulvin, Jean Cauvin, Jean Chauvin, John Calvin, Calvin - Swiss theologian (born in France) whose tenets (predestination and the irresistibility of grace and justification by faith) defined Presbyterianism (1509-1564)

Duns Scotus, John Duns Scotus - Scottish theologian who was very influential in the Middle Ages (1265-1308)