Top 10 Most Influential Religious Leaders of All Time
#10: Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)
Martin Luther was the former monk responsible for the Protestant Reformation. Dissatisfied with perceived corruption within the Church, Luther sought change. He loathed indulgences, or the notion that wealthy people could pay the Church a bribe to ameliorate their sins. He believed that the Latin mass alienated the clergy from the people. He wanted the liturgy to be delivered in the vernacular language along with Latin. Luther also emphasized the importance of inner spiritual repentance over Catholic sacraments and confession. He posted his ideas to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg. With the help of the Gutenberg printing press. Luther’s ideas spread like wildfire. While centuries of sectarian violence were an unintended consequence, Luther’s ideas sparked a new age in Christian theology.
#9: Saint Peter (? – c. 64)
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In the Christian Bible, Peter was one of twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Despite being one of a dozen, he ended up being the most important. According to the book of Matthew, Jesus approached Peter and said that he would be the rock upon which Jesus’ church would be built. Both the Catholic and Orthodox churches consider Peter to have been the first ever Bishop of Rome. That also makes him the first Pope. Though Peter was crucified by Emperor Nero, his impact on Christendom couldn’t be stopped. The Roman Catholic Church grew to be one of the most powerful, wealthiest, and influential religions in the history of the world.
#8: Maimonides (c. 1135-1204)
Moses ben Maimon, a.k.a. Maimonides, a.k.a. Rambam, was a true Renaissance man centuries before the Renaissance. He was a scholar, an astronomer, and the personal physician of Saladin. His philosophical, mathematical, and scientific studies were incredibly popular throughout the Muslim world. His lasting legacy, however, was in Jewish law and ethics. Born in Spain, his journey took him to Morocco and then Egypt where he led the Jewish community. By 1180, Maimonides completed his magnum opus: a 14- volume codification of Jewish Halacha or law titled the Mishneh Torah. Today, the Mishneh Torah is still a significant work in Jewish religious and legal analysis. Even his critics are forced to contend with his interpretations.
#7: Krishna (c. 3228 - 3102 BCE)
In Hinduism, the god Vishnu incarnates as a human from time to time to restore balance between good and evil. The eighth of these incarnations was Lord Krishna. According to Hindu tradition, Krishna lived almost 5000 years ago. His life, adventures, and death are documented in many Hindu holy texts, especially the Bhagavad Gita. He’s been portrayed as a child, a lover, a trickster, and a hero during different phases of his life. Krishna’s teachings and beliefs became cornerstones of Hindu philosophy and theology. His focus on sacred love and fulfilling human longing for the divine have had a profound influence not just on Hinduism; Vishnu and Krishna worship have helped influence Buddhism and sects of Islam. Ahmadiyya Muslims consider Krishna to be a prophet.
#6: Confucius (c. 551–479 BCE)
Born around 551 B.C.E., Confucius was a middle-class government bureaucrat. His skill and wisdom led to a swift rise in social standing and power. Later in life, he would travel from one Chinese state to another, spreading his philosophy wherever he went. Confucianism is not a religion so much as an all-encompassing system of mostly secular beliefs. Confucius believed in both personal morality, and a morally-guided state. He emphasized the importance of education, family, and ancestor worship. When in politics, he advocated for peace and diplomacy over warfare. Confucianism grew to be the primary philosophy in China from the imperial age to the modern era. It’s central to East Asian culture and has shaped the lives of untold billions.
#5: Moses (c. 1391 - c. 1271 BCE)
Moses was an Egyptian-raised Jewish prince who grew up witnessing the atrocities against his people. God ultimately commanded Moses to help set them free. After a series of plagues, Moses and his followers escaped Egypt, wandering the desert to reach their promised land. God presented Moses with two stone tablets, outlining his ten main commandments for how the Jewish people should live. But his impact isn’t confined to Judaism. Moses is a major prophet in Islam, and has had a huge impact on Christianity. An entire strain of Christian thought, liberation theology, is rooted in the story of Moses. The belief that freeing the oppressed from their oppressors has been central to western strains of Christianity from Latin America to Martin Luther King, Jr.
#4: Zoroaster (between 18th – 6th centuries BCE)
Zoroastrianism is the largest, oldest religion you’ve never heard of before. Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, was an ancient figure who would have lived 2500-3500 years ago. His faith became the major religion of the ancient Persian Empire, dominating the region for 1000 years until Islam. There are no real details about the man Zoroaster, just his significant religious legacy. Zoroastrianism is the first documented monotheistic faith in human history. It introduced the concept of an absolute good battling an absolute evil. It also was the first major religion to discuss heaven, hell, free will, eternal judgment, a messiah, or angels and demons. Without Zoroastrianism, the foundational beliefs of three Abrahamic religions that sprouted in its place might never existed.
#3: Siddhārtha Gautama [aka Buddha] (c. 563 - c. 483 BCE)
Siddhārtha Gautama was an Indian prince who lived around 500 years before the birth of Christ. He was wealthy, self-indulgent, and ignorant of all the world’s problems. When he witnessed poverty and suffering in his subjects, his entire life changed. He espoused a life of asceticism, eschewing earthly attachments in order to achieve enlightenment. He became known as the Buddha, and his religion spread all over asia. Buddhism isn’t just a religion: it’s an ethical system and philosophy. Buddhism started a social movement in India, bucking against the caste system, attracting the poor and the oppressed. Everywhere Buddhism spread, it changed, incorporating parts of local culture and religions. Today, Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion, with over half a billion followers.
#2: Muhammad (c. 570 - 632)
Islam, the world’s second largest faith, was founded by the prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last in a long line of prophets. His words are, in their estimation, the culmination of everything espoused by Judaism and Christianity. Muhammad unified a large chunk of the Arab world. In the centuries following his life, the spread of Islam led to a golden age of science and philosophy in the region. The world’s first ever university was established in Morocco in 859. Mathematics, astronomy, and science underwent significant advancement. In modern times, fundamentalist Islam has clashed with the west. Those conflicts have underpinned much of the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Guru Nanak (1469-1539)
This Poet and Scholar Traveled the World and Founded Sikhism.
Sai Baba of Shirdi (1838? -1918)
Sai Baba Is One of the Few People to Become Both a Hindu Saint and a Muslim Fakir.
St. Augustine (354-430)
This Bishop of Hippo Regius Was the Most Important Theologian of Early Christendom.
Dalai Lama Gendun Drup (1391 - 1474)
Gendun Drup Was the First of 14 Human Reincarnations of the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844)
Joseph Smith Founded Mormonism, One of the Fastest Growing Religions of the 21st Century.
#1: Jesus (7-2 BCE - 30-33 CE)
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To Christians, Jesus of Nazareth was and is the Son of God. To others, he was a rabbi and a prophet. Whatever your beliefs, we can all agree that Christianity has been a major engine for two millennia of human history. Jesus preached a morality that transcended the law, attracting the poor and downtrodden of the Roman Empire. Christianity was later shaped by St. Paul, a Jewish convert who wrote much of what we now know as the Christian Bible. While Jesus preached compassion, love, and kindness, his followers haven’t always lived up to his example. For centuries, Christianity spread throughout the world through warfare as much as through the gospel. Today, it is the world’s largest religion, spreading to every corner of the planet.
We live in a world shaped by generations of religious leaders and prophets. Which did we leave off our list that you think should be on it? Please let us know in the comments below!
