Top Ten Most Influential Christian Theologians

Christian theologians are scholars that have studied the area of Christianity in depth. They are often the academics who defend the faith and explain the most difficult aspects of the faith. They are, arguably, some of the smartest people to have ever lived.

Some have had an incredible influence in the faith, and their theories have gained a considerable amount of traction. Today we'll be looking at the ten most influential theologians.

Note this list is not about the best, but instead about those who made the most significant changes to the thinking of the time and whose theories are still held as a staple in the faith. For the purposes of this list, I will not be listing figures from the Bible such as Paul the Apostle, Simon Peter, or even Jesus himself. Hope you enjoy and feel free to comment or remix.

The Top Ten

Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, monk, and a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation.
He's best known for his Ninety-five Theses, which he is traditionally said to have nailed to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church in 1517, challenging the Catholic... read more

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was by far the most influential theologian. Luther was the leader of the Reformation and spoke heavily against the Catholic Church. His arguments against the Papacy, transubstantiation, and indulgences in the form of the "95 Theses" were a watershed moment in the religious world.
Luther also had very influential views regarding atonement and Sola Scriptura. He was one of the first theologians to openly develop Substitutionary Atonement (scholars disagree on whether Luther supported Penal Substitutionary Atonement). He was also one of the first theologians to endorse the Justification theory, a middle ground between Calvinism and Catholicism.
Martin Luther's influence in the Faith cannot be understated.
Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is immensely important in the Faith. He wrote the "Summa Theologica," which remains to this day one of the best books explaining theology. He touches on almost everything in the book.
Aquinas was also one of the first Christian apologists. Aquinas's Five Ways is taught in almost every denomination. He was a proponent of the satisfaction view of atonement. Despite being Catholic, Aquinas is one of the most highly respected and influential theologians in most churches.
Augustine of Hippo

Augustine (354-430) was one of the very first theologians. He wrote a lot on the soul-body union and more philosophical ideas. He was the first theologian to develop a systematic view of amillennialism.
Augustine also developed the City of God theory, which is a beautiful piece of writing to comfort Christians. He is most popular for his theories on original sin. This theory would be one of the staples of Catholicism and lead the way to infant baptism.
John Calvin

John Calvin (1509-1564) is obviously the key advocate of Calvinism. Calvinism has entrenched itself in many Church doctrines and is staunchly held to. Calvin takes a very radical view of predestination and even believes in double predestination, which is the foundation of Calvinism.
Calvin is also a Papal denier and transubstantiation denier like Luther, but splits with Luther on Sacraments, believing only Baptism and Communion are God-ordained. Calvin was also an advocate of Substitutionary Atonement, limited atonement, and was an early supporter of Penal Substitutionary Atonement.
Origen

Origen (185-253) was one of the earliest theologians. He was the very first person to propose the Ransom Theory of Atonement in its full form. One of his biggest teachings was the preexistence of souls.
Origen was also an early Christological scholar. He significantly developed the ideas of the Trinity and the Logos. However, for some reason, he believed that the Son was less than the Father and the Spirit was less than the Son.
Athanasius of Alexandria

Athanasius (296/298-373) was a very influential Church Father and theologian. He is most known for his passionate stand against Arianism and as a key promoter of Trinitarianism. He was one of the biggest proponents of the homoousios and the Logos.
Athanasius was also the first person to list all 27 books of the New Testament we see today as Biblical canon.
Irenaeus
Ignatius of Antioch

Not much is known about Ignatius, but it has been said that he was a follower of John the Apostle. He was one of the first people to promote the change from Sabbath to the Lord's Day.
He was also an early advocate of the Deity of Christ. He was the first person to endorse a single bishop at the head of the Church, and he used the word Catholic when describing the Church (though all Catholic means is universal and was used way before this time).
Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was definitely more well known as a fiery preacher from the Revivalist era. He was one of the first "Fire and Brimstone" preachers. He is most known for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."
He was an ardent supporter of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. He was much more influential in the world of preaching, but he did have great theological influence.

Hugely influential, particularly in the First Great Awakening. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God remains one of the greatest sermons of all time.
C.S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 - November 22, 1963) was a British novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist.
He held academic positions at Oxford University, where he was a fellow and tutor in English... read more

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) is definitely more well known as an author and Christian apologist. His theology slips into his writing, though. He is an advocate for Ransom Theory Atonement and Christus Victor.
He is also famous for Lewis's Trilemma, which is used in apologetics but is also very theological in essence. Thank you for reading this list!

The Newcomers

?
Gregory of Nazianzus
?
Polycarp of Smyrna

The Contenders

Søren Kierkegaard
Huldrych Zwingli
Reinhold Niebuhr

Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (June 21, 1892 - June 1, 1971) was an American Reformed theologian, ethicist, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. Niebuhr was a prominent public intellectual in the United States during the mid-20th... read more
John Wesley

John Wesley (1703-1791) was another revival preacher and was one of the biggest advocates of Arminianism, which set him at odds with Calvinists. He and his brother, Charles, were advocates of Penal Substitutionary Atonement.
John Wesley was also one of the first people to invite women to preach.
Desmond Tutu

Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 1931-26 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He served as the Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then as the Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, becoming the... read more
Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon deserves a higher ranking. He was a great Biblical teacher and will always inspire me with his simple yet beautiful messages. He also led the largest Protestant church of his time.

Spurgeon was one of the best preachers ever, but theology wasn't his biggest priority.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Marcion of Sinope
Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła, 18 May 1920-2 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until his death in 2005. He was canonized as a saint in 2014 and is referred to by some Catholics as Saint John Paul the Great. He's remembered... read more
Teresa of Ávila
Albert Schweitzer
Philipp Melanchthon
William Penn
Billy Graham

William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 to February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and ordained Southern Baptist minister. He rose to prominence in the late 1940s and became one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century. Graham conducted more than 400 crusades in over... read more
Friedrich Spee