For legendary figures for which historicity cannot be established, see culture hero. This article lists figures from throughout history who are believed to have founded or inspired religions, religious philosophies or those who first codified older known religious traditions. It also lists those who have founded specific churches or denominations within a larger religion.
In many cases, one can regard a religion as a continuous tradition extending to prehistoric times, without a specific founder, or with legendary founding-figures whose historicity cannot be established (such as Abraham or Lord Rishabha). This notwithstanding, the various historical sub-denominations of such religions will still have founders, such as St. Peter and St. Paul who formed what is now known as Pauline Christianity, Nestorius who codified Nestorianism, or Martin Luther who taught Lutheranism, all exemplifying sub-denominations of Christianity. Religion often develops by means of schism and reform (motivated either by revelation or by theological speculation), and it becomes a matter of subjective judgement at what point such a schism or reform assumes the quality of a "foundation" of a new religion.
Chronologically, foundations of religious traditions may sub-divide into:
- the Axial Age, with the earliest known major founding figures such as Zoroaster, Buddha, Confucius and Socrates (via Plato);
- Hellenism to Late Antiquity, with foundations of classical religious traditions and schools such as various sects of Early Christianity, Stoicism, Gnosticism, Upanishadic Hinduism
- the medieval to early modern period, with the rise of Islam, classical (Pauranic) Hinduism, the Bhakti movement and the Protestant Reformation.
- new religious movements, since ca. 1800.
Ancient (before 500 CE)
Medieval to Early Modern (500-1800 AD)
New religious movements (post-1800)
- Further information: list of new religious movements
See also
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