Paine, Thomas (1737–1809): American political writer, author of Common
Sense and The Rights of Man, but also author of the most famous work of
American deism, The Age of Reason.
Palamas, Gregory (1296–1359): Byzantine theologian, known for his
articulation of characteristic Eastern Orthodox doctrines, especially the
distinction between the divine essence and divine energies, the latter of
which include the deifying light of the Trans¿ guration of Christ.
Palmer, Phoebe (1807–1874): American Methodist and Bible teacher,
whose “shorter way” to the blessing of entire sancti¿ cation, “laying all on
the altar,” made her the founding ¿ gure in the Holiness movement.
Paul (c. 4 B.C.–c. A.D. 64): Apostle and early Christian missionary, whose
letters are the earliest documents contained in the New Testament and thus
the ¿ rst extant writings in Christian theology.
Pelagius (À. 410–420): British monk, spiritual advisor, and theologian
whose teaching gave rise to Pelagianism, the view against which Augustine’s
doctrine of grace was developed.
Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 B.C.–A.D. 50): Jewish philosopher and exegete
who used an allegorical method to interpret the scriptures that was inÀ uential
on ancient Christian writers, especially in Alexandria.
Pius IX (1792–1878): Also known by the Italian form of his name, “Pio
Nono,” pope from 1846–1878, the longest reigning pope in history, who
de¿ ned the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, promulgated
the Syllabus of Errors in 1864, and presided over the First Vatican Council,
which de¿ ned the doctrine of papal infallibility in 1870.
Plato (c. 427 B.C.–c. 348 B.C.): Greek philosopher, Socrates’s student,
Aristotle’s teacher, and founder of the only rigorously non materialist
philosophical tradition in the West and, therefore, a major philosophical
resource for Christian theology.