List of founders of religious traditions

Short description: None

These are historical figures credited with founding religions or religious philosophies, or who codified older known religious traditions. The list includes those who have founded a specific major denomination within a larger religion.

## Contents

* 1 Legendary/semi-historical
* 2 Ancient (before AD 500
* 3 Medieval to Early Modern (500–1800 AD)
* 4 New religious movements (post-1800)
* 5 See also
* 6 Notes
* 7 References
* 8 Bibliography

## Legendary/semi-historical

Traditional founder(s)  | Historical founder(s)  | Life of historical founder  | Religious tradition founded  | Comparative Religion

|
|
|
|

Hayk  | Kura–Araxes culture  | alive during 2492 BC  | Armenian Mythology, later incorporated into Abrahamic Mythology  | Paganism
Abraham (covenant with God)
Moses (religious law) | Yahwists[n 1] | c. 13th[1][2][3] to 8th century BC[n 2] | Judaism and Samaritanism | Abrahamic religions
Laozi | Zhuang Zhou | 369 BC – 286 BC | Taoism | East Asian religions, Chinese Religion
Dido  | Phoenicians | alive during 814 BC  | Punic religion  | Canaanite religion
Aeneas
Romulus
Numa Pompilius | Ancient Latins | c. 8th to 7th century BC | Roman Religion | Paganism, Interpretatio graeca, Roman Mythology
Simon Magus  | no traditional founder, was claimed by the Church Fathers to have founded the movement.[1] Mentioned in Acts of the Apostles  | unknown some time in AD  | Gnosticism more specifically the Simonians | Abrahamic, Christianity

## Ancient (before AD 500

1. See culture hero for legendary founders of doubtful historicity. For figures that fall into that category, please add them to the Legendary section, not here.

Founder name  | Life of founder  | Religious tradition founded  | Comparative Religion

|
|
|

Akhenaten | c. 1353 BC – 1336 BC[4] | Atenism  | Monotheism[5]
Zoroaster | c. 1000 BC[6] | Zoroastrianism | Iranian religions
Parshvanatha | 877 BC – 777 BC[7][8][9][10][11] | The penultimate (23rd) Tirthankara in Jainism | Indian religions
Nebuchadnezzar II | c. 634 BC – 562 BC | built the Etemenanki, established Marduk as the patron deity of Babylon[citation needed] |Paganism,Ancient Mesopotamian religion, Babylonian Religion
Ajita Kesakambali | 6th century BC[12][13][14] | Charvaka | Indian religions, Hinduism,
Mahavira | 599 BC – 527 BC[15][16][17] | The final (24th) tirthankara in Jainism | Indian religions, Jainism
Gautama Buddha | 563 BC – 483 BC[18][19] | Buddhism | Indian religions
Confucius | 551 BC – 479 BC[20][21] | Confucianism | East Asian religions, Chinese Religion
Pythagoras | fl. 520 BC | Pythagoreanism | Ancient Greek philosophy
Mozi | 470 BC – 390 BC | Mohism | East Asian religions, Chinese Religion
Zamolxis | 5th century BC | Zamolxism  | possibly Monotheistic?[22]
Makkhali Gosala | 5th century BC[23] | Ājīvika | Indian religions, Hinduism
Ezra | fl. 459 BC[n 3] | Second Temple Judaism[24] | Abrahamic religions
Epicurus | fl. 307 BC | Epicureanism | Ancient Greek philosophy
Zeno of Citium | 333 BC – 264 BC | Stoicism | Ancient Greek philosophy
Pharnavaz I of Iberia | 326 BC – 234 BC | Armazi  | Monotheism
Valmiki | c. 3rd century BC[25] | Valmikism  | Indian religions, Hinduism
Patanjali | 2nd century BC | Rāja yoga sect of Hinduism | Indian religions, Hinduism
Augustus  | 63 BC - 14 AD  | Roman imperial cult  | Paganism, Imperial cult
John the Baptist | c. 6 BC – c. AD 30  | Mandeaism | Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism
Jesus (and the Twelve Apostles) | c. 4 BC – c. 30/33 AD | Christianity | Abrahamic religions
Paul the Apostle | c. 33 AD | Pauline Christianity | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
James the Just | c. 33 AD | Jewish Christianity | Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity
Lakulisha | 1st century AD | Pashupata Shaivism sect of Hinduism | Indian religions, Hinduism
Judah the Prince | 2nd century AD | Rabbinic Judaism  | Abrahamic religions, Judaism,
Montanus | 2nd century AD | Montanism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Marcion of Sinope | 110–160 | Marcionism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Gnosticism
Elkesai | 170–230 | Elkesaism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Gnosticism
Nagarjuna | 150–250 | Madhyamaka | Indian religions, Buddhism
Plotinus | 205–270 | Neoplatonism | Monotheism, Ancient Greek philosophy
Mani | 216–274 | Manichaeism | Religious syncretism, Gnosticism
Arius[n 4] | 250–336 | Arianism[n 5] | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Pelagius[n 4] | 354–430 | Pelagianism[n 6] | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Nestorius[n 4] | 386–451 | Nestorianism[n 7] | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Eutyches | 380–456 | Monophysitism[n 8] | Abrahamic religions, Christianity

## Medieval to Early Modern (500–1800 AD)

Name  | Life of founder  | Religious tradition founded  | Comparative Religion

|
|
|

Mazdak | died c. 526 | Mazdakism | Monotheism
Bodhidharma | 5th or 6th century | Zen, more specifically Ch'an | Indian religions, Buddhism
Muhammad | c. 570–632 | Islam | Abrahamic religions
Gaudapada | c. 6th century CE | Advaita Vedanta | Indian religions, Hinduism
Songtsen Gampo | 7th century | Tibetan Buddhism  | Indian religions, Buddhism
En no Gyōja | late 7th century | Shugendō  | East Asian religions
Huineng | 638–713 | East Asian Zen Buddhism | Indian religions, Buddhism
Padmasambhava | 8th century | Nyingma  | Indian religions, Buddhism
Han Yu | 8th or 9th century | Neo-Confucianism | East Asian religions, Chinese Religion, Confucianism
Saichō | 767–822 | Tendai (descended from Tiantai)  | East Asian religions, Buddhism
Kūkai | 774–835 | Shingon Buddhism  | Indian religions, Buddhism
Ibn Nusayr | late 9th century | Alawites  | Abrahamic religions, Islam
Matsyendranath | 10th century | Nath  | Indian religions
Khadafi  | 876-948 | Shawawanism Islam  | Abrahamic religions
Ramanuja | 1017–1137 | Vishishtadvaita | Indian religions, Hinduism
Great Peacemaker | Between the 10th and 15th centuries | Great Law of Peace  | Native American religions, Iroquois mythology
Hamza ibn ‘Alī ibn Aḥmad[26] | 11th century | Druze | Abrahamic religions, Greek Philosophy, Atenism
Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir | 12th century | Yazidism | Abrahamic religions, Iranian religions
Basava | 12th century | Lingayatism  | Indian religions
Peter Waldo | 1140–1205 | Waldensianism  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Proto-Protestantism[27]
Hōnen | 1131–1212 | Jōdo-shū (descended from Pure Land Buddhism)  | East Asian religions, Indian religions
Eisai | 1141–1215 | Rinzai Zen (descended from the Linji school)  | East Asian religions
Shinran | 1173–1263 | Jōdo Shinshū (descended from Jōdo-shū)  | East Asian religions
Dōgen | 1200–1253 | Sōtō Zen (descended from the Caodong school)  | East Asian religions
Haji Bektash Veli | 1209–1271 | Bektashi Order of Sufism | Abrahamic religions, Islam
Nichiren | 1222–1282 | Nichiren Buddhism  | Indian religions, Buddhism
Abraham Abulafia | 1240–1290s | Prophetic Kabbalah, a.k.a. ecstatic Kabbalah  | Abrahamic religions, Judaism,
Dyaneshwar | 1275–1296 | Varkari  | Indian religions, Hinduism
Madhvacharya | 1238–1317 | Dvaita  | Indian religions, Hinduism
John Wycliffe | 1320s–1384 | Lollardy  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Proto-Protestantism
Fażlu l-Lāh Astar-Ābādī | 14th century | Hurufism | Abrahamic religions, Islam
Mahmoud Pasikhani | late 14th century | Nuqṭawism  | Abrahamic religions, Islam
Jan Hus | 1372–1415 | Hussitism  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Proto-Protestantism
Tlacaelel | 1397–1487 | Cult of Huitzilopochtli  | Native American religions, Mesoamerican religion, Aztec religion
Ramananda | 15th century | Ramanandi Vaishnavism | Indian religions, Hinduism
Kabir | 1398–1448 | Kabir Panth  | Indian religions, Hinduism
Pachacuti | 1418–1472 | Cult of Inti | Native American religions, Inca mythology
Sankardev | 1449–1568 | Ekasarana Dharma  | Indian religions, Hinduism
Ravidas | c. 1450–1520 | Ravidassia  | Indian religions
Guru Nanak | 1469–1539 | Sikhism, Nanak Panth  | Indian religions
Sri Chand | 1494–1629 | Udasi | Indian religions, Sikhism
Vallabha Acharya | 1479–1531 | Shuddhadvaita | Indian religions, Hinduism
Martin Luther | 1483–1546 | Lutheranism and Protestantism in general  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu | 1486–1534 | Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Achintya Bheda Abheda | East Asian religions
Thomas Cranmer | 1489–1556 | Anglicanism (Church of England)  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
Menno Simons | 1496–1561 | Mennonite  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Anabaptism
Conrad Grebel | 1498–1526 | Swiss Brethren, Anabaptists  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
Jacob Hutter | 1500–1536 | Hutterite  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Anabaptism
Isaac Luria | 1534–1572 | Lurianic Kabbalah | Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Kabbalah
Sultan Sahak | early 15th century | Yarsanism | Abrahamic religions, Iranian religions
John Calvin | 1509–1564 | Calvinism[28] | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
Michael Servetus[29] | 1511?–1553 | Unitarianism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Nontrinitarianism
John Knox[30] | 1510–1572 | Presbyterianism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Calvinism
Akbar | 1542–1605 | Din-i Ilahi | Religious syncretism Abrahamic religions
Jacobus Arminius | 1560–1609 | Arminianism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Calvinism
John Smyth[31] | 1570–1612 | Baptists | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
Avvakum | 1620–1682 | Old Believers of Russian Orthodox Church |Abrahamic religions, Christianity
George Fox[32] | 1624–1691 | Quakers | Abrahamic religions, Christianity,Protestantism, Anglicanism
Philipp Spener[33] | 1635–1705 | Pietism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Lutheran
Jakob Ammann | 1656–1730 | Amish  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
Emanuel Swedenborg | 1688–1772 | The New Church  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
Yisroel ben Eliezer "Baal Shem Tov"[34] | 1698–1760 | Hasidic Judaism  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
John Wesley,[35] Charles Wesley, George Whitefield | 1703–1791 | Methodism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity,Protestantism, Anglicanism
Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab | 1703–1792 | Wahhabism | Abrahamic religions, Sunni Islam
Ann Lee[36] | 1736–1784 | Shakers  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Quakers

## New religious movements (post-1800)

Name[37] | Life of founder  | Religious tradition founded  | Comparative Religion

|
|
|

Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsá'í[38][39] | 1753–1826  | Shaykhism, precursor of Bábism[40][41] | Religious syncretism: Abrahamic religions,Iranian religions, Indian religions,East Asian religions
Nicolas François de Neufchâteau  | 1750-1828  | Decadary Cult  | Secular religion
Antoine-François Momoro  | 1756-1794  | Cult of Reason | Secular religion
Maximilien Robespierre | 1758-1794  | Cult of the Supreme Being | Secular religon
Jean-Baptiste Chemin-Dupontès  | 1760-1852  | Theophilanthropy  | Deist
Ram Mohan Roy | 1772–1833 | Brahmo Samaj | Indian religions, Hinduism
Swaminarayan | 1781–1830 | Swaminarayan Sampraday  | Indian religions, Hinduism
Auguste Comte | 1798–1857 | Religion of Humanity | Secular religon
Nakayama Miki | 1798–1887 | Tenrikyo | East Asian religions, Japanese new religions
Ignaz von Döllinger | 1799–1890 | Old Catholic Church  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Phineas Quimby | 1802–1866 | New Thought | Spirituality
Allan Kardec (founder of the religion)
Holy Spirit (made the teachings) | 1804–1869 | Spiritism  | Spiritualism (movement)
Joseph Smith | 1805–1844 | Mormonism, also known as the Latter Day Saint movement  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Nontrinitarianism, Restorationism
John Thomas | 1805–1871 | Christadelphians  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Nontrinitarianism, Restorationism
Abraham Geiger | 1810–1874 | Reform Judaism  | Abrahamic religions
Jamgon Kongtrul | 1813–1899 | Rimé movement | Indian religions, Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism
Hong Xiuquan | 1814–1864 | Taiping Christianity  | Religious syncretism, Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Bahá'u'lláh[42] | 1817–1892 | Baháʼí Faith | Religious syncretism: Abrahamic religions, Iranian religions, Indian religions,East Asian religions
Karl Marx | 1818-1883  | Marxist–Leninist atheism | Irreligion, State atheism
Báb | 1819–1850 | Bábism, precursor of the Baháʼí Faith | Religious syncretism: Abrahamic religions,Iranian religions, Indian religions,East Asian religions
Azriel Hildesheimer | 1820–1899 | Modern Orthodox Judaism  | Abrahamic religions
James Springer White | 1821–1881 | Seventh-day Adventist Church | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Methodism, Millerism
Wang Jueyi | 1821–1884 | Yiguandao  | East Asian religions, Chinese Religion, Chinese salvationist religions
Mary Baker Eddy[43] | 1821–1910 | Christian Science | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Ramalinga Swamigal | 1823–1874 | Samarasa Sutha Sanmarga Sangam  | Indian religions, Hinduism
Dayananda Saraswati | 1824–1883 | Arya Samaj | Indian religions, Hinduism
Ellen G. White[44] | 1827–1915 | Seventh-day Adventist Church | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Methodism, Millerism
John Ballou Newbrough | 1828–1891 | Faithism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Spiritualism (movement)
Helena Blavatsky | 1831–1891 | Theosophy | Spiritualism (movement)
Subh-i-Azal | 1831–1912 | Azalism  | Religious syncretism: Abrahamic religions,Iranian religions, Indian religions,East Asian religions
Ayya Vaikundar | 1833–1851 | Ayyavazhi | Indian religions, Hinduism
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad | 1835–1908 | Ahmadiyya  | Religious syncretism: Abrahamic religions,Iranian religions, Indian religions,East Asian religions
Nao Deguchi | 1837–1918 | Oomoto  | East Asian religions, Japanese new religions
John Slocum | 1838–1897 | Indian Shaker Church | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Quakers, Shakers
Guido von List | 1848–1919 | Armanism (Germanic mysticism)  | Occult
Charles Taze Russell[45] | 1852–1916 | Bible Student movement  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Nontrinitarianism, Restorationism
Wovoka | 1856–1932 | Ghost Dance | Native American Religions, Spiritualism (movement)
Rudolf Steiner | 1861–1925 | Anthroposophy | Occult
Swami Vivekananda | 1863–1902 | Ramakrishna Mission  | Indian religions, Hinduism
William Irvine[46] | 1863–1947 | Two by Twos and Cooneyites  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Nontrinitarianism, Evangelicalism
Max Heindel | 1865–1919 | The Rosicrucian Fellowship  | Occult
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi | 1871–1944 | Soka Gakkai  | Indian religions, Buddhism
Sri Aurobindo | 1872–1950 | Integral yoga | Indian religions, Hinduism
Mason Remey | 1874–1974 | Orthodox Baháʼí Faith  | Abrahamic religions
Aleister Crowley | 1875–1947 | Thelema | Occult
Charles Fox Parham | 1873–1929 | Pentecostalism | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Methodism, Holiness Movement
Rudolf von Sebottendorf  | 1875-1945  | Thule Society | Occult, Esoteric Nazism
"Father Divine" | c. 1876–1965 | International Peace Mission movement | Monotheism
Edgar Cayce | 1877–1945 | Association for Research and Enlightenment | Spiritualism
Ngô Văn Chiêu | 1878–1926 | Caodaism  | East Asian religions, Vietnamese Religion
Guy Ballard | 1878–1939 | "I AM" Activity | New Age
Frank Buchman | 1878–1961 | Oxford Group/Moral Re-Armament  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism
Alfred G. Moses | 1878–1956 | Jewish Science | Abrahamic religions, Judaism
Ōnishi Aijirō | 1881–1958 | Honmichi  | East Asian religions, Japanese new religions
Mordecai Kaplan | 1881–1983 | Reconstructionist Judaism  | Abrahamic religions, Judaism
Gerald Gardner | 1884–1964 | Wicca | Neo-Paganism
Felix Manalo | 1886–1963 | Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ)  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Nontrinitarianism, Restorationism
Frank B. Robinson | 1886–1948 | Psychiana | Spiritualism
Noble Drew Ali | 1886–1929 | Moorish Science Temple of America | Abrahamic religions, Islam
Marcus Garvey | 1887–1940 | Rastafari | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Ernest Holmes | 1887–1960 | Religious Science | Spiritualism
Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj | 1888–1954 | Vihangamyoga | Indian religions, Hinduism
Aimee Semple McPherson[47] | 1890–1944 | Foursquare Church  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Evangelicalism
Zélio Fernandino de Moraes[48] | 1891–1975 | Umbanda | Syncretism
Ida B. Robinson | 1891–1946 | Mount Sinai Holy Church of America  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Methodism, Holiness Movement
B. R. Ambedkar | 1891–1956 | Navayana Buddhism  | Indian religions, Buddhism
Wallace Fard Muhammad | 1891–1934 (absentia) | Nation of Islam | Abrahamic religions, Islam, Moorish Science Temple of America
Paramahansa Yogananda | 1893–1952 | Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, Self-Realization Fellowship | Indian religions, Hinduism
Masaharu Taniguchi | 1893–1985 | Seicho-no-Ie | East Asian religions, Japanese new religions
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada | 1896–1977 | International Society for Krishna Consciousness | Indian religions, Hinduism
Ruth Norman | 1900–1993 | Unarius | UFO Religions
Ross Nichols | 1902-1975 | Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids  | Druidry
Swami Muktananda | 1908–1982 | Siddha Yoga  | Indian religions, Hinduism
Paul Twitchell | 1908–1971 | Eckankar | Monotheism
Ikurō Teshima | 1910–1973 | Makuya  | East Asian religions, Japanese new religions
L. Ron Hubbard | 1911–1986 | Scientology | Dianetics
Kim Il Sung | 1912-1994  | North Korean cult of personality  | Imperial cult
Chinmayananda Saraswati | 1916–1993 | Chinmaya Mission | Indian religions, Hinduism
Victor Henry Anderson | 1917–2001 | Feri Tradition  | Neo-Paganism
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi | 1918–2008 | Transcendental Meditation | Indian religions, Hinduism
Samael Aun Weor | 1917–1977 | Universal Christian Gnostic Movement  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Gnosticism
Mark L. Prophet | 1918–1973 | The Summit Lighthouse | Religious syncretism: Abrahamic religions,Iranian religions, Indian religions,East Asian religions
Ben Klassen | 1918–1993 | Creativity | Atheisim, White Supremecey
Ahn Sahng-hong | 1918–1985 | World Mission Society Church of God  | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Huỳnh Phú Sổ | 1919–1947 | Hòa Hảo | East Asian religions, Vietnamese Religion
Yong (Sun) Myung Moon[49] | 1920–2012 | Unification Church | Abrahamic religions, Christianity
Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar | 1921–1990 | Ananda Marga | Indian religions, Hinduism
Clarence 13X | 1922–1969 | Five-Percent Nation | Abrahamic religions, Islam, Moorish Science Temple of America, Nation of Islam
Mestre Gabriel | 1922–1971 | União do Vegetal | Syncretism
Nirmala Srivastava | 1923–2011 | Sahaja Yoga | Indian religions, Hinduism
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson | 1924–1993 | Ásatrú  | Neo-Paganism
Sathya Sai Baba | 1926–2011 | Sathya Sai Organization | Indian religions, Hinduism
Michel Potay | 1929– | Pilgrims of Arès | Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Restorationist
Anton LaVey | 1930–1997 | Church of Satan (LaVeyan Satanism)  | Abrahamic religions, Atheist
Rajneesh[50] | 1931–1990 | Rajneesh movement  | Indian religions, Hinduism
Mark L. Prophet;
Elizabeth Clare Prophet[51] | 1918–1973;
1939–2009 | Church Universal and Triumphant | Religious syncretism
Adi Da | 1939–2008 | Adidam  | Spiritualism
Claude Vorilhon | 1946– | Raëlism | UFO Religions
Marshall Vian Summers | 1949– | New Message from God  | Spiritualism
Li Hongzhi | born 1951 or 1952 | Falun Gong | East Asian religions, Chinese Religion, Chinese salvationist religions
Ryuho Okawa | 1956–2023 | Happy Science | Japanese new religions
Vissarion | 1961– | Church of the Last Testament  | Abrahamic religions
Chris Korda | 1962– | Church of Euthanasia | Apocalyptic
Tamara Siuda | 1969– | Kemetic Orthodoxy  | Neo-Paganism
Olumba Olumba Obu | 1918–2003 | Brotherhood of the Cross and Star  | Abrahamic religions
Erdoğan Çınar | 21st century | Ishikism | Abrahamic religions
J.R. "Bob" Dobbs | 1972– | Church of the SubGenius  | parody religion
Bobby Henderson | 1980-  | Pastafarianism  | parody religion
Abdullah Hashem | 1983– | Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light  | Abrahamic religions, Islam
Isak Gerson | 1993– | Missionary Church of Kopimism | Cybersectarianism

## See also

* Burial places of founders of world religions
* List of Buddha claimants
* List of messiah claimants
* List of people who have been considered deities
* List of religions and spiritual traditions
* Lists of religious leaders by century
* Timeline of religion

## Notes

1. ↑ The religion of the Israelites of Iron Age I was based on a cult of ancestors and worship of family gods, the "gods of the fathers". With the emergence of the monarchy at the beginning of Iron Age II the kings promoted their family god, YHWH (Yahweh), as the god of the kingdom, but beyond the royal court, religion continued to be both polytheistic and family-centered. As such, this founding group is referred to as "Yahwists".
2. ↑ Israel emerges into the historical record in the last decades of the 13th century BCE, at the very end of the Late Bronze Age, as the Canaanite city-state system was ending. In the words of archaeologist William Dever, "most of those who came to call themselves Israelites … were or had been indigenous Canaanites". The worship of YHWH (Yahweh) alone began at the earliest with Elijah in the 9th century BCE, but more likely with the prophet Hosea in the 8th; even then it remained the concern of a small party before gaining ascendancy in the exilic and early post-exilic period.
3. ↑ historicity disputed but widely considered plausible. Gosta W. Ahlstrom argues the inconsistencies of the biblical tradition are insufficient to say that Ezra, with his central position as the 'father of Judaism' in the Jewish tradition, has been a later literary invention. (The History of Ancient Palestine, Fortress Press, p.888)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The teaching of the traditional "founding father" of a "heresy" is may well have differed greatly from the contents of the heresy as generally understood. For references see following notes.
5. ↑ Acc. to Rowan Williams, 'Arianism' was essentially a polemical creation of Athanasius in an attempt to show that the different alternatives to the Nicene Creed collapsed back into some form of Arius' teaching. (Arius, SCM (2001) p.247)
6. ↑ Pelagius' thought was one sided and an inadequate interpretation of Christianity, but his disciples, Celestius and, to a greater extent, Julian of Eclanum pushed his ideas to extremes.(Kelly, J.N.D. Early Christian Doctrines A & C. Black (1965) p.361) Pelagius himself was declared orthodox by the synod of Diospolis in 415, after repudiating some of Celestius' opinions. (Frend, W.H.C. Saints and Sinners in the Early Church DLT (1985) p.133)
7. ↑ Nestorius specifically endorsed the repudiation of "Nestorianism" reached at Chalcedon in 451 (Prestige, G.L. Fathers and Heretics SPCK (1963) p.130)
8. ↑ Monophysitism represents an advanced type of Alexandrian Theology; it emerged in a distinctive form in 433 as a result of the agreement between John of Antioch and Cyril of Alexandria. The exaggerated form held by Eutyches was condemned in 451 by the Council of Chalcedon. In its moderate forms the divergence from orthodoxy may be simply terminological. Alexandrian Theology stressed both divine transcendence and a marked dualism between the material and the spiritual and so tended to nullify the humanity of Christ.(Cross & Livingstone. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (1974) arts. Monophysitism, Alexandrian Theology)

## References

1. ↑ Albertz 1994, p. 61.
2. ↑ Grabbe 2008, pp. 225–6.
3. ↑ Killebrew, Ann E. (2005). Biblical Peoples and Ethnicity: An Archaeological Study of Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, and Early Israel, 1300–1100 B.C.E.. Society of Biblical Literature. ISBN 978-1-58983-097-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=VtAmmwapfVAC&q=Biblical+peoples+and+ethnicity:+an+archaeological.
4. ↑ Hornung, Erik (1999). Akhenaten and the Religion of Light. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-8725-5. https://archive.org/details/akhenatenreligio00horn.
5. ↑ Ridley, Ronald Thomas. (2019). Akhenaten: A Historian's View. The AUC History of Ancient Egypt. Cairo; New York: The American University in Cairo Press.
6. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 191.
7. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 183.
8. ↑ Fisher, Mary Pat (1997). Living Religions: An Encyclopedia of the World's Faiths. London: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-86064-148-0. p. 115
9. ↑ "Parshvanatha". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2007. http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9058576. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
10. ↑ Bowker, John (2000). "Parsva". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192800947. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780192800947. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
11. ↑ Charpentier, Jarl (1922). "The History of the Jains". The Cambridge History of India. 1. Cambridge. pp. 153.
12. ↑ Radhakrishnan & Moore 1957, pp. 227–249
13. ↑ John M. Koller (1977), Skepticism in Early Indian Thought, Philosophy East and West, 27(2): 155-164
14. ↑ Dale Riepe (1996), Naturalistic Tradition in Indian Thought, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120812932, pages 53-58
15. ↑ Upinder Singh 2016, p. 313.
16. ↑ Zimmer 1953, p. 222.
17. ↑ "Mahavira." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2006. Answers.com 28 Nov. 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/mahavira
18. ↑ Cousins 1996, pp. 57–63.
19. ↑ Schumann 2003, pp. 10–13.
20. ↑ Hugan, Yong (2013). Confucius: A Guide for the Perplexed. A&C Black. p. 3. ISBN 9781441196538. https://books.google.com/books?id=1R9MAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA4.
21. ↑ Riegel 2002.
22. ↑ Paliga, Sorin. "La divinité suprême des Thraco-Daces". Dialogues d'histoire ancienne (in French). Persée revue..
23. ↑ James Lochtefeld, "Ajivika", The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing. ISBN 978-0823931798, page 22
24. ↑ Brueggemann 2002, pp. 75, 144.
25. ↑ "Ramayana | Summary, Characters, & Facts". https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ramayana-Indian-epic.
26. ↑ Hendrix, Scott; Okeja, Uchenna, eds (2018). The World's Greatest Religious Leaders: How Religious Figures Helped Shape World History [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 11. ISBN 978-1440841385.
27. ↑ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Waldenses". https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15527b.htm.
28. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 67.
29. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 128.
30. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 69.
31. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 102.
32. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 95.
33. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 73.
34. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 183.
35. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 75.
36. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 724.
37. ↑ All following religions can be classified as a new religious movement, but will remain unlabeled to avoid repetition.
38. ↑ "AḤSĀʾĪ, SHAIKH AḤMAD". Encyclopædia Iranica. https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ahsai-shaikh-ahmad. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
39. ↑ "Individualism and the Mystical Path in Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i". https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/bhpapers/ahsaind.htm.
40. ↑ "Shaykhism". https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195390155/obo-9780195390155-0188.xml.
41. ↑ "SHAYKHISM". Encyclopædia Iranica. https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/shaykhism. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
42. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 992.
43. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 741.
44. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 621.
45. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 637.
46. ↑ Chryssides 2001, p. 330.
47. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 451.
48. ↑ Smith and Prokopy 2003, p. 279-280.
49. ↑ Beit-Hallahmi 1998, p. 365.
50. ↑ Melton 2003, p. 1051.
51. ↑ Beit-Hallahmi 1998, p. 97.

## Bibliography

* Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1998). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Active New Religions, Sects, and Cults (Revised ed.). Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8239-2586-5.
* Brueggemann, Walter (2002). Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-22231-4.
* Chryssides, George D. (2001). Historical dictionary of new religious movements. The Scarecrow Press, Inc.. ISBN 978-0-8108-4095-9. https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000chry.
* Cousins, LS (1996), "The dating of the historical Buddha: a review article", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 3 6 (1): 57–63, doi:10.1017/s1356186300014760, http://indology.info/papers/cousins
* Jestice, Phyllis G. (2004). Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia (Volume 3). ABC-CLIO, Inc.. ISBN 978-1-57607-355-1.
* Melton, J. Gordon (2003). Encyclopedia of American Religions (Seventh ed.). Farmington Hills, Michigan: The Gale Group, Inc.. ISBN 978-0-7876-6384-1.
* Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli; Moore, Charles (1957). A Source Book in Indian Philosophy. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-01958-1. https://archive.org/details/sourcebookinindi00radh.
* Riegel, J (3 July 2002). "Confucius". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2012/entries/confucius/. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
* Schumann, Hans Wolfgang (2003), The Historical Buddha: The Times, Life, and Teachings of the Founder of Buddhism, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120818170
* Smith, Christian; Joshua Prokopy (1999). Latin American Religion in Motion. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-92106-0. https://archive.org/details/latinamericanrel0000unse.
* Singh, Upinder (2016), A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century, Pearson Education, ISBN 978-93-325-6996-6, https://books.google.com/books?id=Pq2iCwAAQBAJ
* Zimmer, Heinrich (1953), Campbell, Joseph, ed., Philosophies Of India, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, ISBN 978-81-208-0739-6, https://archive.org/details/Philosophy.of.India.by.Heinrich.Zimmer

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Note: 1 The main source: Eliade, Mircea, ed (1987). The Encyclopedia of Religion. New York: MacMillan.

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