Biographical Notes
Note: Ancient and medieval ¿ gures, as well as popes, are typically listed by
¿ rst name. For ancient theologians, where exact dates of birth and death are
often unknown, “c.” (Latin for circa) means “approximately” and “À .” (for
“À ourished”) refers to the period at which time this person was known to
be active.
Amyraldus: (See Amyraut.)
Amyraut, Moses (1596–1664): Also known by a Latinized version of his
name, Amyraldus, was a French Protestant (a Huguenot) who advocated a
modi¿ ed form of Calvinism which came to be known as Amyraldianism,
hypothetical universalism, or four point Calvinism, because it accepted all
the teachings of the Synod of Dordt except limited atonement.
Anselm (c. 1033–1109): Monk, then abbot of Bec in Normandy, then
archbishop of Canterbury (1093–1109); the ¿ rst great medieval theologian
of the West who is famous for his account of how Christ’s death made
satisfaction for human sin in the treatise Why God Became Man.
Aquinas, Thomas (c. 1225–1274): Dominican friar, teacher at the University
of Paris, central ¿ gure of medieval scholasticism, and the most authoritative
theologian of the Roman Catholic tradition; known for his use of Aristotelian
philosophy and his conception of supernatural grace.
Aristotle (384–322 B.C.): Greek philosopher, student of Plato, founder of
the sciences of logic, physics, and biology, whose writings were a major
conceptual resource for medieval scholastic theologians, especially Aquinas.
Arius (c. 256–336): Alexandrian presbyter whose teaching on the Trinity
was condemned at the Council of Nicaea 325.