Quotes

Abba Eban (1915-2002) was an Israeli diplomat and scholar. He served as Ambassador to the United States, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Abby Johnson (1980-) is a former abortion facility director who later became a pro-life activist. She founded “And Then There Were None,” a charity that helps abortion workers leave the industry.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the sixteenth U.S. President, the first Republican president, who served from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the nation during the Civil War, and previously served in the Illinois and U.S. legislatures.

Adlai Stevenson II (1900-1965) was an American Democratic politician and diplomat. He served as Governor of Illinois, two-time Democratic presidential nominee, and U.N. Ambassador under Presidents John F. Kennedy (D) and Lyndon Johnson (D).

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a German-born American theoretical physicist. His theory of relativity revolutionized our scientific understanding of the universe. He formulated the most famous math equation: E=MC².

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) was a Russian writer, philosopher, and dissident. He is most well known for The Gulag Archipelago, a damning analysis of the Soviet Gulag system.

Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) was a Nevis-born American military officer, politician, and founding father. He was an influential Federalist and served as the first Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington (I).

Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (1805-1859) was a French writer, historian, diplomat, and philosopher. His most well known book, Democracy in America, recounted his extensive travels in the early United States.

Ambrose Bierce (1842-ca. 1914) was an American writer, journalist, and Civil War veteran. He was known for biting criticism and satire, and for unflinchingly accurate depictions of the horrors of war.

An Wang (1920-1990) was a Chinese American computer engineer, inventor, and businessman. He contributed to the development of magnetic core memory and founded Wang Laboratories, an early electronic calculator and word processor firm.

Antony Flew (1923-2010) was an English professor, philosopher, and writer. For much of his life he was an atheist and noted critic of religious belief, but was later convinced by evidence for intelligent design and became a deist.

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) was a Greek philosopher. His approach to logic, ethics, and inquiry had wide-ranging influence; Aristotelian tradition is an integral part of modern science, Christian theology, and numerous other fields of study.

Saint Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430) was a North African Catholic bishop who was one of the most influential early fathers, writers, and theologians of the church. He was declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298.

Alice O’Connor (1905-1982), who wrote under the pseudonym Ayn Rand, was a Russian-born American author and philosopher who developed objectivism. She is most well known for the novel Atlas Shrugged.

Barry Goldwater (1909-1998) was a U.S. Senator from Arizona, a Republican, serving from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987. He was the Republican nominee for president in 1964.

Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022), born Joseph Ratzinger, was the 265th supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church. He served from 2005 until his resignation in 2013.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an American writer, scientist, diplomat, philosopher, inventor, and founding father. He participated in writing the Declaration of Independence, served as ambassador, and made numerous inventions that remain common today.

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist. He wrote over sixty plays, the most well known of which are Man and Superman, Pygmalion, and Saint Joan.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British mathematician, logician, and philosopher. He is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy, which emphasizes formal logic and mathematics more than other philosophical methods.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was a French Catholic mathematician, physicist, and philosopher. He co-invented calculators, contributed to the field of fluid dynamics, and proposed an argument for belief in God now called “Pascal’s Wager.”

Bryan Garner (1958-) is an American writer, lexicographer, lawyer, and professor. He authored Garner’s Modern English Usage and the usage section of the Chicago Manual of Style, and is editor-in-chief of Black’s Legal Dictionary.

Clive Staples “C.S.” Lewis (1898-1963) was a British Anglican writer, scholar, and theologian. He is most well known for writing the fantasy novel Chronicles of Narnia and the nonfiction Christian apologia Mere Christianity.

Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) was the thirtieth U.S. President, a Republican, who served from 1923 to 1929. He previously served as member of the Massachusetts state legislature, mayor, Lt. Governor, Governor of Massachusetts, and Vice President.

Carl Sagan (1934-1996) was an American scientist, writer, professor, and media figure. He was a science communicator who was most well known for co-writing and presenting the original Cosmos: A Personal Voyage television series on PBS.

Casey Chalk (?-) is an American Catholic writer and editor who contributes to The New Oxford Review, The Federalist, American Conservative, and Crisis Magazine.

The Catholic Church is the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church” of the Christian creeds. It was established by Christ and is led by the successors of Peter. Church documents with anonymous or unknown authors are credited to the church itself.

Monsignor Charles Pope (1961-) is an American Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. He is a popular blogger, columnist, and media personality.

Reverend Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) was an English Baptist preacher and writer. He was known for his skill as an orator and was a major influence on the Reformed Baptist movement.

Pope Saint Clement of Rome (ca. A.D. 35-99) was the fourth supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church, and an early church father. He served from A.D. 88 until his death, likely by martyrdom, in A.D. 99.

Conan O’Brien (1963-) is an American comedian, writer, producer, talk show host, and podcaster. He is most well known for hosting Late Night With Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show, and Conan.

Cormac McCarthy (1933-2023) was an American writer and novelist. His novels include All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men, and The Road.

Saint Cyprian of Carthage (ca. A.D. 210-258) was a North African Catholic bishop, writer, early church father, and martyr. He strongly opposed the Novatianist herecy and its founder Novatian, who falsely claimed to be pope.

D. Scott Johnson (1968-) is an American writer and software developer. He is known for the Gemini Gambit series of science fiction novels.

Dan Quayle (1947-) is an American Republican politician. He represented Indiana in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, and served as Vice President under President George Bush (R).

Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003) was a U.S. Senator from New York, a Democrat, serving from 1977 to 2001. He previously served as Assistant Secretary of Labor, Ambassador to India, and U.N. Ambassador.

David Allen (1945-) is an American writer and productivity expert. He is most well known for his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.

Reverend Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian. He vocally opposed the Nazi regime, which later imprisoned him and put him to death.

Donald Trump (1946-) was the forty-fifth U.S. President, a Republican, who served from 2017 to 2021. He owns a business conglomerate, the Trump Organization, and was previously a reality television star.

Douglas Adams (1952-2001) was a British author, novelist, and humorist. He is most well known for his five-book “trilogy,” The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American writer known for macabre short stories and poems who is generally considered one of the greats of American literature. He had long-lasting influence on detective stories, science fiction, and horror.

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) was an Irish-born British writer, politician, and philosopher who served as a member of Parliament from 1765 to 1795. He favored Catholic emancipation, sympathized with the American revolution, and was an early conservative.

Edward Bernays (1891-1995) was an Austrian-born American writer and public relations innovator who created highly effective “P.R.” campaigns for businesses. He wrote several influential books about influence, propaganda, and mass psychology.

Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) was an American writer, artist, satirist, and philosopher. He is known for social critique and humorous truisms.

Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) was a Romanian-born American writer and professor. He survived imprisonment by the Nazis in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald death camps and became a lifelong advocate for human rights.

Elon Musk (1971-) is a South African-born American businessman. He co-founded Zip2, X.com (a precursor of PayPal), Neuralink, and OpenAI, founded SpaceX, the Boring Company, and xAI, is chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, and owns X (Twitter).

Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005) was a U.S. Senator from Minnesota, a Democrat, serving from 1959 to 1971. He previously served in the U.S. House, and later made several unsuccessful runs for President.

Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) was an American writer, journalist, and humorist. He is most well known for originating the fictional Irish immigrant character “Mr. Dooley” who appeared in Dunne’s nationally syndicated sketches.

Pope Francis (1936-), born Jorge Bergoglio, is the 266th supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church. He has served since 2013. He is a member of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits.

Francis Collins (1950-) is an American physician and scientist who led the Human Genome Project. He also served as director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health from 2009 to 2021.

John Florence Sullivan (1894-1956), who worked under the name Fred Allen, was an American comedian and radio host.

Frederick Phillips “Fred” Brooks Jr. (1931-2022) was an American writer and computer engineer. He was project manager for the IBM System/360 line of mainframes and later wrote the influential project management book The Mythical Man-Month.

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey (ca. 1817-1895), or Frederick Douglass, was an American writer and orator. He escaped slavery and became a leading advocate for abolitionism and civil rights.

Freeman Dyson (1923-2020) was a British-born American mathematician and theoretical physicist. He was influential in numerous fields, including nuclear physics, quantum theory, and astrophysics.

Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979) was an American Catholic bishop, professor, theologian, and radio and television presenter. He was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was a Russian writer, novelist, journalist, and essayist. He is widely considered one of the greatest novelists of all time, and is most well known for Crime and Punishement and The Brothers Karamazov.

Gilbert Keith “G.K.” Chesterton (1874-1936) was a British Catholic writer, critic, and philosopher. He created the fictional priest detective Father Brown and is known for his apologetic books Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man.

Granville Stanley Hall (1844-1924) was an American professor and psychologist who was the first president of the American Psychological Association. His research focused primarily on human childhood development.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) was a German writer, philosopher, and professor. He was a member of the “German idealist” movement and is most well known for the books The Phenomenology of Spirit and The Science of Logic.

George Mason (1725-1792) was an American founding father. He wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, served in the Virginia House of Delegates, and was a delegate from Virginia to the Constitutional Convention.

Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950), who wrote under the pseudonym George Orwell, was a British writer, novelist, essayist, and journalist. He is most well known for the anti-totalitarian works Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás (1863-1952), or George Santayana, was a Spanish American writer, novelist, essayist, philosopher, and cultural critic.

George W. Bush (1946-) was the forty-third U.S. President, a Republican, serving from 2001 to 2009. He led the nation during the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks and the Global War on Terror, and was previously a businessman and Governor of Texas.

George Washington (1732-1799) was the first U.S. President, an independent, serving from 1789 to 1797. He was a businessman, general, and founding father. During the Revolution he commanded the army and led the U.S. to victory and independence.

Father Georges Lemaître (1894-1966) was a Belgian Catholic priest, theoretical physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and professor. He was the first to propose an expanding universe and originated the “Big Bang Theory.”

Gerald Ford (1913-2006) was the thirty-eighth U.S. President, a Republican, serving from 1974 to 1977. He was previously a U.S. Navy officer, member of the U.S. House from Michigan, and Vice President.

Gerald Lawrence Schroeder (1938-) is an American-born Israeli writer, scientist, professor, and Jewish theologian. He proposed a possible reconciliation of biblical and cosmological creation timelines based on Einstein’s time dilation equations.

Pope Saint Gregory the Great (ca. A.D. 540-604) was the sixty-fourth supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church, serving from 590 until his death in 604. He was a Benedictine known for his humility, and is acknowledged as a Doctor of the Church.

Henry Louis “H.L.” Mencken (1880-1956) was an American essayist, satirist, journalist, and language scholar. He was most well known for his detailed analysis of the American English language, The American Language.

Johanna “Hannah” Arendt (1906-1975) was a German-born American historian, philosopher, and political theorist. She is most well known for her studies of totalitarianism, including Nazism, and for coining the phrase “the banality of evil.”

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was the thirty-third U.S. President, a Democrat, serving from 1945 to 1953. He was president during the World War II allied victories in Europe and the Pacific. He was previously a judge, U.S. Senator from Missouri, and Vice President.

Henry Ford (1863-1947) was an American businessman and industrialist. He founded the Ford Motor Company, which revolutionized mass production and made motor vehicles affordable for the masses.

Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907) was an American writer and lawyer who co-founded the Theosophical Society, became a well-known convert to Buddhism, and helped revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka. He wrote The Buddhist Catechism.

The Holy Bible is a collection of seventy-three divinely inspired books acknowledged as canonical by the Catholic Church at the Council of Rome in A.D. 382. Scripture passages with anonymous or unknown authors are credited to the Bible itself.

Quintus Horatius “Horace” Flaccus (27-8 B.C.) was a Roman soldier, satirist, and lyric poet who wrote during the time of Rome’s transition from a republic to an empire.

Hugo Black (1886-1971) was a U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) in 1937 and served until retirement in 1971. He had previously represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate.

Ian Fleming (1908-1964) was a British journalist and novelist who served in military intelligence during World War II. He is most well known for the James Bond (007) series of spy novels and the children’s book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Ibn Warraq (1946-) is the pseudonym of an anonymous Indian- or Pakistani-born British writer and founder of the Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society. He is most well known for critical analyses of Islam and the Qur’an.

Saint Ignatius of Antioch (ca. A.D. 50-ca. 108) was a Syrian Catholic bishop, writer, and early church father. He was martyred for the faith by Roman authorities, likely by being thrown to wild animals at the Coliseum.

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a Russian-born American professor, science fiction writer, and science communicator. He was a prolific author, and is most well known for his many novels in the Foundation and I, Robot series.

Jack Handey (1949-) is an American writer and humorist. He is most well known as a writer on Saturday Night Live. His surreal one-liner “Deep Thoughts” were compiled into books and memorably appeared on SNL between 1991 and 1998.

John Francis “Jack” Welch Jr. (1935-2020) was an American engineer, writer, and business executive. He was the chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001, and his tenure there has been both widely lauded and strongly criticized.

James Hitchcock (?-) is an American professor of history who teaches at Saint Louis University. He has written numerous books, many of which focusing on the history of the Catholic Church.

James Madison (1751-1836) was the fourth U.S. president, a Democratic-Republican, serving from 1809 to 1817. He was a primary author of the U.S. Constitution and previously served as a member of the U.S. House and Secretary of State.

James the Just (A.D. ?-62) was an early Christian who was described in scripture as a close relative of Jesus Christ. He was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and one of his letters, known as the Epistle of James, became part of the Holy Bible.

Jane Wagner (1935-) is an American television, film, and theater writer, director, and producer. She is most well known for her work in collaboration with comedian Lily Tomlin.

Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 4 B.C.-A.D. 33) is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ. His followers are called Christians. He is the second person of the Trinity. In his Earthly life, he lived and preached in Roman-occupied Israel and was crucified by Roman authorities.

Jim Powell (?-) is an American writer, historian, and lecturer. He is most well known for nonfiction books about this history of liberty and free markets. He is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.

James M. “Jimmy” Seghers (?-) is an American Catholic writer, teacher, and radio and television personality. He and his wife Michelle founded Totus Tuus Ministries, a Catholic evangelization ministry.

John Adams (1735-1826) was the second U.S. president, a Federalist, serving from 1797 to 1801. He previously served as a judge and diplomat. He was also the first Vice President, serving under President George Washington (I).

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) was the thirty-fifth U.S. president, a Democrat, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He previously represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

Saint John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was an English Catholic priest, writer, theologian, and academic. Originally an Anglican, he converted to Catholicism in 1845. He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2019.

John Locke (1632-1704) was a British writer, political philosopher, and physician. He was one of the preeminent thinkers of the enlightenment era and had major influence on the development of social contract theory and classical liberalism.

John Marshall (1755-1835) was the fourth U.S. Chief Justice. He was appointed by President John Adams (FD) in 1801 and served until death in 1835. He previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates, U.S. House of Representatives, and as Secretary of State.

John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) was an English economist. He originated the school of economic thought now known as the Keynesian economics, which tends to advocate inflationary monetary policies and government interventionism.

Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

Pope Saint John Paul II (1920-2005), born Karol Wojtyła, was the 264th supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church. He served from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was canonized in 2014 by Pope Francis.

Saint John the Apostle (ca. A.D. 6-100), or John the Beloved, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He wrote four books of the Holy Bible (the Gospel of John, three epistles (letters), and Revelation) and cared for Mary after Christ’s ascension.

Saint John Vianney (1786-1859), or the Curé d’Ars, was a French Catholic priest. He was dedicated to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and strong moral teaching. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

Reverend John Wesley (1703-1791) was an English theologian and evangelist. He founded Methodism, which began as a movement within Anglicanism but eventually became its own family of Christian denominations.

Jordan Peterson (1962-) is a Canadian writer, professor, psychologist, and media figure who studies narrative, meaning, and belief. He is also known for his public lectures on psychology, religion, and self-improvement.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás (1902-1975) was a Spanish Catholic priest who founded the Opus Dei movement and espoused the universal call to holiness. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

Lao Tsu (ca. 6th-5th century B.C.), or Laozi, born Li Er, was a Chinese philosopher and religious figure. His writings, the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi, are considered the foundational texts of the Taoist religion.

Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990) was a Canadian writer and professor. He is most well known for formulating the “Peter principle,” which posits that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to “a level of respective incompetence.”

Lee Smolin (1955-) is an American writer, professor, and theoretical physicist. He has contributed to the concept of loop quantum gravity and subscribes to an “alternate view” of spacetime known as “temporal naturalism.”

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), or Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, political theorist, civil rights activist, and supporter of Indian independence. He was a proponent of the principles of nonviolent resistance.

Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) was a British Conservative politician. She was the first woman Prime Minister, and served in that role from 1979 to 1990. She was previously a member of Parliament, Education Secretary, and opposition leader.

Samuel Clemens (1835-1910), who wrote under the pseudonym “Mark Twain,” was an American writer, lecturer, and humorist. He is most well known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Reverend Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German author, professor, and theologian. He was a Catholic priest who broke with the church, initiated the Protestant reformation, and founded the Lutheran movement.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was an American Baptist pastor, philosopher, and activist. He was the preeminent leader of the African American civil rights movement.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (ca. 18 B.C-ca. A.D. 41) was the wife of Joseph and mother of Jesus. She was chosen by God to be his virgin mother, and has been the most venerated Christian saint since antiquity.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was a British writer, novelist, and philosopher. She is generally considered to be a founding feminist philosopher, and is most well known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Mattias Desmet (?-) is a Belgian writer, professor, and psychologist. His areas of research include psychological factors of totalitarianism and mass formation psychosis.

Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck (1858-1947) was a German theoretical physicist. He originated quantum theory, which revolutionized our understanding of the behavior of fundamental particles.

Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe (1894-1941) was a Polish Catholic priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, writer, missionary, and dissident who was martyred by the Nazis at the Auschwitz death camp. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982.

Marguerite Annie Johnson (1928-2014), or Maya Angelou, was an American writer, poet, and civil rights activist. She is most well known for her autobiographical work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Melancton Smith (1744-1798) was an American businessman and lawyer who served as a delegate from New York to the Continental Congress. He was a prominent theorist and spokesman for the Anti-Federalist movement.

John Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was an American writer, novelist, and filmmaker. He was most well known for science fiction and “techno-thrillers “including The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park. He also created the television series E.R.

Mignon McLaughlin (1913-1983) was an American writer and journalist. She wrote articles and short stories for women’s magazines, but is most well known for her aphorisms collected in the Neurotic’s Notebook book series.

Milton Friedman (1912-2006) was an American writer, economist, statistician, and professor who was one of the most influential economists of the twentieth century. He was a leader in the “Chicago school” of economics and a proponent of free markets.

Nathaniel “Nate” Silver (1978-) is an American writer, statistician, and media figure. He is known for developing predictive models for sports events and political elections. He founded FiveThirtyEight.com and now publishes the Silver Bulletin.

Sébastien-Roch Nicolas de Chamfort (1741-1794) was a French writer. He is most well known for his epigrams and aphorisms, and for his Jacobin activities during the French revolution.

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was an Austrian-born American inventor, engineer, and futurist. He invented the AC induction motor and had immense influence on the development of AC electric grids, x-ray imaging, and wireless transmission.

Reverend Norman Thomas (1884-1968) was an American Presbyterian minister and socialist orator who stood six times as the Socialist Party candidate for president. He was an advocate for “democratic socialism” and civil rights.

Oliver Wendell Holmes [Sr.] (1809-1894) was an American writer, physician, poet and professor. He wrote a well-known series of Breakfast-Table essays, and was also an influential medical innovator and reformer.

Oscar Levant (1906-1972) was an American composer, pianist, writer, talk show host, actor, and comedian. He appeared in numerous films, often playing a pianist, and was known for his quick, biting wit.

Oscar Fingal O’Fflahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. He is most well known for his epigrams, the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the play The Importance of Being Earnest.

Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C-ca. A.D. 17), or Ovid, was Roman poet. He lived during the reign of Caesar Augustus, and is most remembered for his fifteen-book epic poem Metamorphoses.

Owen Roberts (1875-1955) was an American lawyer and U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was nominated to the court in 1930 by President Herbert Hoover (R) and served until his retirement in 1945.

Patrick Jake “P.J.” O’Rourke (1947-2022) was an American writer, journalist, and political satirist. He was most well known for his books Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance, and for advocating libertarian political philosophies.

Patrick Henry (1736-1799) was an American founding father, businessman, orator, lawyer, and politician. He served as a Virginia Burgess, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and the first post-colonial Governor of Virginia.

Paul Skousen (?-) is an American writer, journalist, and teacher. He is most well known for The Naked Socialist and for editing and preserving writings by his father, W. Cleon Skousen.

Saint Paul the Apostle (ca. A.D 5-64), born Saul of Tarsus, was a Jewish persecutor of Christians who later converted to Christianity and became one of the most influential early leaders of the church. Many of his letters became part of the Holy Bible.

Peter Kreeft (1937-) is an American Catholic apologist, philosopher, professor, and theologian. He became Catholic after studying early Christianity. Kreeft has written over eighty books including the Handbook of Christian Apologetics.

Pope Saint Peter the Apostle (A.D. ?-64), or Simon Peter, born Simeon, was the first supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church, serving from the time of Christ until his death in A.D. 64. He was the first Bishop of Rome and wrote two books of the Bible.

Robert “R. G.” Yoho (?-) is an American author, speaker, radio talk show host, and political commentator. Much of his work focuses on the American west, including the Kellen Malone Western novel series.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American writer, essayist, and philosopher. He was part of the transcendentalist movement, a champion of individualism, and an advocate for the abolition of slavery.

Randall Munroe (1984-) is an American writer, engineer, and cartoonist. He is most well known for the webcomic xkcd and has written several books, including What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.

René Descartes (1596-1650) was a French scientist and philosopher who did much of his work in the Netherlands and Sweden. He is considered the father of modern western philosophy, and is most well known for the aphorism, “I think, therefore I am.”

Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794) was a U.S. Senator from Virginia, a Democratic-Republican, serving from 1789 to 1792. He was a founding father who attended the Second Continental Congress and proposed the resolution for American independence.

Richard Swinburne (1934-) is a British writer, professor, and philosopher. He is most well known for promoting philosophical arguments for the existence of God and for his contributions to the philosophies of religion and science.

Archbishop Salvatore “Rino” Fisichella (1951-) is a Catholic bishop from Italy. He has served as president of the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.

Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) was an American writer, engineer, and futurist. He wrote works of speculative social fiction that were also scientifically accurate “hard” science fiction. He is most well known for the novel Stranger in a Strange Land.

Robert Anton Wilson (1932-2007) was an American writer, futurist, novelist, and psychologist. He wrote science fiction novels and nonfiction books on metaphysics and “quantum psychology.” He is most well known for his Illuminatus! novel series.

Robert Frost (1874-1963) was an American poet who is generally regarded as one of the great twentieth century literary figures. Much of his poetry focuses on rural life and “ordinary men.” He is best known for the poem The Road Not Taken.

Robert P. George (1955-) is an American writer, professor, and philosopher. He founded the Witherspoon Institute and serves as senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and advocates for religious liberty, human rights, and classical values.

Robert Yates (1738-1801) was an American surveyor, lawyer, and judge. He was a prominent member of the Anti-Federalist movement and Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court.

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) was the fortieth U.S. president, a Republican, serving from 1981 to 1989. He was previously an actor and had served as Governor of California.

Samuel Adams (1722-1803) was an American founding father, political theorist, and politician. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Governor of Massachusetts.

Scott Bradford (1982-) is an American web developer, writer, and technologist. He writes about politics, elections, fundamental human rights, and Catholic Christianity on his website, Off on a Tangent, which has been online since 1995.

Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 480-ca. 400 B.C), or the Buddha, was the founder and central figure of Buddhism. He originated the Buddhist religion’s Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path.

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt (1858-1919) was the twenty-sixth U.S. president, a Republican, serving from 1901 to 1909. He previously served as a New York Assemblyman, police commissioner, Asst. Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York, and Vice President.

Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) was a Spanish Catholic sister of the Order of Discalced Carmelites most well known for her Way of Perfection. She was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), or “Mother Teresa,” was an Albanian Catholic sister of the Missionaries of Charity known for her charitable work with the poor in India. She was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016.

Reverend Theodore Parker (1810-1860) was an American Unitarian and transcendentalist writer and preacher. He was an influential member of the abolitionist movement.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), the “Little Flower of Jesus,” was a French Catholic sister of the Order of Discalced Carmelites known for her Story of a Soul. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

Saint Thomas Aquinas (ca. 1225-1274) was an Italian Catholic priest of the Dominican order, philosopher, and theologian known for his Summa Theologiae. He was canonized by Pope John XXII in 1323 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius V in 1567.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third U.S. president, a Democratic-Republican, serving from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and previously served as a diplomat, Secretary of State, and Vice President.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference for the United States. It establishes national liturgical norms and coordinates certain activities between dioceses. Works created by earlier U.S. conferences are also credited here.

The Constitution of the United States is the nominal “supreme law of the land” of the United States. Its main seven articles came into effect in 1789, and it now includes twenty-seven amendments. The first ten amendments are the Bill of Rights.

The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America is the founding document of the United States. It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, modified by the drafting committee and the full Congress, and adopted on July 4, 1776.

Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) was the eighteenth U.S. President, a Republican, serving from 1869 to 1877. During the Civil War he served as Commanding General of the Union Army, leading the Union to victory over the Confederacy.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a document describing the basic rights and freedoms of all human beings. It was created by a United Nations committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt and adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1948.

Willard Cleon Skousen (1913-2006) was an American writer known for his Mormon religion and staunch opposition to communism. His most well known works are The Five Thousand Year Leap and The Naked Communist.

William Grayson (1742-1790) was a U.S. Senator from Virginia, a Democratic-Republican, who served from 1789 until his death in 1790. He previously led a regiment in the Continental Army and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and Democratic politician. He was a U.S. House member from Nebraska, Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson (D), and three-time Democratic presidential nominee.

William O. Douglas (1898-1980) was a U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt (D) in 1939 and served until retirement in 1975.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965), a British Conservative, was Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and 1951 to 1955. He was the political leader of Britain during World War II, and previously served as a member of Parliament.

Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) was the twenty-eighth U.S. president, a Democrat, serving from 1913 to 1921. He led the nation during World War I, and previously served as a university president and Governor of New Jersey.