Great Thinkers

Meet the great minds whose ideas have shaped the world — philosophers, scientists, artists, leaders, and revolutionaries whose thinking still matters today.

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Subject: Religion ×

1200-1253 · Japan (Soto Zen Buddhist)

Eihei Dogen (1200-1253) was a Japanese Buddhist monk whose writings founded the Soto school of Zen Buddhism and produced one of the most original bodies…

Critical thinking Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Creative expression +1

"To study the Buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To…"

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Hildegard of Bingen

1098-1179 · Germany (Holy Roman Empire)

Hildegard of Bingen was a German nun, writer, composer, and healer. She was one of the most important thinkers in medieval Europe. She was born…

Creative expression Critical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Ethical thinking +1

"I am a feather on the breath of God."

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Julian of Norwich

c. 1342-after 1416 · England

Julian of Norwich was an English Christian mystic and theologian. She is thought to be the first woman to have written a book in English…

Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Creative expression Emotional intelligence +1

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."

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Khadija bint Khuwaylid

c. 555-619 · Arabia (Mecca)

Khadija bint Khuwaylid was a successful Arabian merchant in 6th- and 7th-century Mecca. She is honoured in Islamic tradition as the first Muslim and as…

Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Problem solving Emotional intelligence +1

"By God, God will never humiliate you. You maintain family ties, you help to carry the burdens of the weak,…"

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c. 1684-1706 · Kingdom of Kongo (Angola / Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita was a Kongolese Christian prophetess and political leader. She founded the Antonian movement, which imagined Christianity in Kongolese terms. She was…

Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Critical thinking Creative expression +1

"Jesus was born in São Salvador, which is Bethlehem, and he was baptised in Nsundi, which is Nazareth."

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1483-1546 · Germany (Lutheran / Protestant Reformer)

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German friar, theologian, and biblical scholar whose objections to Catholic practice became the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation — a…

Critical thinking Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Creative expression +1

"Here I stand; I can do no other."

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Moses Maimonides

1138-1204 · Al-Andalus / Egypt (Sephardic Jewish)

Moses ben Maimon (1138-1204), a religious figure known in Hebrew as Rambam and in Arabic as Musa ibn Maymun, was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher, legal…

Critical thinking Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Research skills +1

"The truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor…"

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c. 717 CE - c. 801 CE · Basra, Iraq (Abbasid Caliphate)

Rabia of Basra was an early Sufi mystic and saint. Sufism is the mystical tradition within Islam. It emphasises the inner experience of God rather…

Ethical thinking Emotional intelligence Creative expression Cultural heritage and identity +1

"O God, if I worship Thee for fear of hell, burn me in hell. If I worship Thee for hope…"

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1887-1951 · Democratic Republic of the Congo

Simon Kimbangu was a Congolese religious leader and the founder of Kimbanguism, one of the largest African-initiated churches in the world. He was born on…

Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Critical thinking Emotional intelligence +1

"It is now time for me to turn myself in to the authorities; let impatient men prone to anger be…"

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Teresa of Ávila

1515-1582 · Spain (Catholic, Discalced Carmelite)

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582), born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, reformer, and writer whose works on contemplative prayer…

Ethical thinking Emotional intelligence Cultural heritage and identity Creative expression +1

"Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to…"

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Thich Nhat Hanh

1926 - 2022 · Vietnam (long exile in France)

Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, poet, and peace activist. He is one of the most important Buddhist teachers of the modern…

Ethical thinking Emotional intelligence Creative expression Cultural heritage and identity +1

"The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments."

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