Vocation : Writers : Religion/ Philosophy

Rafael Arnáiz Barón, OCSO (9 April 1911 - 26 April 1938), also named María Rafael in religion, was a Spanish Trappist conventual oblate. He studied architecture in Madrid, but decided to cease his studies in favor of the religious life. This was often interrupted due to his struggle with type I diabetes and his being called for active service. But these never hindered his religious call and he did as best as he could to deal with his diabetes through his constant life of reflection and writing on spiritual subjects in his letters.He was beatified on 27 September 1992 by Pope John Paul II and was canonized a saint of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI on 11 October 2009.

Broer Doekele Dykstra (November 21, 1871 - March 29, 1955), usually cited as B. D. Dykstra, was a Dutch American pastor, educator, and poet who wrote several books, served as editor of the Volksvriend Dutch-language newspaper, and was a visible member of the Reformed Church in America. Known in the RCA as "the man on the bicycle," he operated a small publishing house with his sons and traveled door-to-door to sell his books.
Dykstra was born "Broer Dijkstra" in Pingjum, Friesland in 1871, son of Doekele Dijkstra and Beitske van der Schaaf. The family emigrated to the United States in 1882. He became an avid pacifist. He was a student at Orange City Academy, now Northwestern College in the late 19th century; today, the school offers the Dykstra-Muste-Nelson Peace Scholarship in his, A.J. Muste's, and Ronald R. Nelson's honor. He died in Orange City, Iowa, United States, in 1955.
Several of his sons became prominent educators and theologians. D. Ivan Dykstra was a professor of philosophy at Hope College, Wesley C. Dykstra held the same position at Alma College, and Vergil Dykstra served as president of George Mason University.

Antonio Velasco Piña (8 September 1935 – 27 December 2020) was a Mexican novelist, spiritual writer and essayist.
He was the founder of La Nueva Mexicanidad, a group advocating the Mexicanism or Mexicanista (Mexicayotl) movement purportedly based on Aztec religion and Aztec Superiority over all other indigenous tribes.
The movement is partly inspired by the writings of French anthropologist Laurette Séjourné who specialized on Aztec and Mesoamerican spirituality.
El círculo negro (2006) presents a conspiracy theory according to which Mexico during the mid 20th century was governed by a secret society called "the black circle" or the descendants of The Aztec Triple Alliance Elite which assassinated Mexican presidents who sought reelection. Rewriting history and propagandizing Aztec Culture over all Mexicanos and American Chicanos.
Piña died from COVID-19 in 2020.

Barbara Lewis King (August 26, 1930 – October 11, 2020) was the first bishop of the International New Thought Christian Movement of Churches. She was also the founder of Hillside International Chapel and Truth Center.

Walter Wink (May 21, 1935 – May 10, 2012) was an American Biblical scholar, theologian, and activist who was an important figure in Progressive Christianity. Wink spent much of his career teaching at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. He was well known for his advocacy of and work related to nonviolent resistance and his seminal works on "The Powers", Naming the Powers (1984), Unmasking the Powers (1986), Engaging the Powers (1992), When the Powers Fall (1998), and The Powers that Be (1999), all of them commentaries on the Apostle Paul's ethic of spiritual warfare described here: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Breaking with Christian hermeneutic tradition of Christian demonology, he interprets Paul's hierarchy of "rulers" to refer to imperial powers, with corresponding and political theologies and ideologies of state violence. Giving examples from ancient Babylon through the popular media of today, these are supported by, in a phrase he coined "the myth of redemptive violence".

Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio (born 28 February 1950) is Peruvian prelate of the Catholic Church whom Pope Francis named Archbishop of Lima on 25 January 2019.

Clyde Taylor Francisco (June 2, 1916 – August 21, 1981) was born in Virgilina, Virginia and was the John R. Sampey Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He taught Old Testament for over 30 years and his book titled Introducing the Old Testament remained in print for more than 25 years.

Christoph von Sigwart (28 March 1830 – 4 August 1904) was a German philosopher and logician. He was the son of philosopher Heinrich Christoph Wilhelm Sigwart (31 August 1789 – 16 November 1844).

Eberhard Nestle (1 May 1851, Stuttgart – 9 March 1913, Stuttgart) was a German biblical scholar, textual critic, orientalist, editor of the Novum Testamentum Graece, and the father of Erwin Nestle.