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List of founders of religious traditions


This article lists historical figures credited with founding religions or religious philosophies or people who first codified older known religious traditions. It also lists those who have founded a specific major denomination within a larger religion.

In many cases, one can regard a religion as a continuous tradition extending to prehistoric times without a specific founder (Hinduism, which is a synthesis of the Historical Vedic religion, the śramaṇa movement, folk religion and animism), or with legendary founding-figures whose historicity has been widely questioned (such Rishabhanatha). This notwithstanding, many historical expressions of such religions will still have founders. Religion often develops by means of schism and reform (motivated by theological speculation), and it becomes a matter of judgement at what point such a schism or reform should be considered the "foundation" of a new religious tradition. For example, Martin Luther and John Wesley worked for reforms but their efforts failed to influence the whole Catholic Church, and the end result was a new tradition within Christianity.

Chronologically, foundations of religious traditions may sub-divide into:


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