The Arminian Chronicles blog recently opined their list of the top 10 Christian theologians of all time and their influence on Christianity.
Who do you think was the most influential, most important theologian on this list?
Did the Arminian Chronicles miss someone who you think was even more important? If so, please comment.
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July 17, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Though he was hardly as influential as the others in the realm of theology, I think Gottfried Leibniz is my favorite.
Wikipedia has an excellent entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Leibniz
July 17, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I think Anselm gets underrated. He came up with the metaphor that sin is an offense against God’s honor and demands satisfaction, which Christ provides by dying. To his audience of feudal lords that made good sense. (This is the theory that got adapted into a legalistic framework in Protestantism, where sin is now a crime that a holy God can’t forgive without punishment, which again Christ provides by dying.)
I wish I could check the “Athanasius” box, but he’s not at all influential in the west, and he’s not unique in the east.
For most Baptists, Pentecostals, and nondenonimationals — and for American politics since the 1980s — I’d say John Darby, inventor of Dispensationalism and Charles Finney, inventor of the “altar call,” are unfortunately among the most influential.
July 17, 2009 at 7:08 pm
No mention of Erasmus? Strange.
July 23, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Thanks for noticing my list. I wonder how the results of the poll will turn out.
God be with you,
Dan
July 23, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Michael wrote:
> No mention of Erasmus? Strange.
Michael, can you share some of Erasmus’ influence? I gather he was involved in compiling the “Textus Receptus” but I haven’t heard of him otherwise.