Irenaeus
#323
Most Influential Person Across History
2nd-century Greek bishop and Doctor of the Church
Irenaeus's AcademicInfluence.com Rankings
Download Badge
Religious Studies
Why Is Irenaeus Influential?
(Suggest an Edit or Addition)According to Wikipedia, Irenaeus was a Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology by combating heterodox or Gnostic interpretations of Scripture as heresy and defining proto-orthodoxy. Originating from Smyrna, he had seen and heard the preaching of Polycarp, who in turn was said to have heard John the Evangelist, and thus was the last-known living connection with the Apostles.
