Church Leaders

Basic Info

A number of leaders throughout Christian history have displayed leadership qualities rooted in faith, love (charity), or hope in a way that sets them apart from other leaders. These virtues are understood to be gifts from God, so these leaders have been seen to be especially close to, or favored by, God.

For most of Christian history, these leaders held official roles in the Orthodox or Roman Catholic Traditions, including bishops, cardinals, and popes. In artworks these figures are most often depicted in the robes or vestments indicative of their official status. Bishops have mitres (pointed, cloth-covered hats) and croziers (staffs); cardinals have wide-brimmed, flat, red hats and red robes; popes usually wear white and sometimes wear a tiara or crown that is quite tall.

Because the Protestant Reformation frowned on the large number of Catholic saints, Protestants have rarely claimed that any of their leaders have been saints. Nevertheless, artists have often depicted Protestant leaders, especially Martin Luther, usually in the clothing in which they normally preached.

Historical Notes

Artists have also portrayed Christian leaders who are not considered to be saints. Sometimes these leaders have commissioned artists to depict them in saintly postures.

What to Look For

Leadership is a quality that is difficult to portray without placing the leader in the context of a particular story that is emblematic of the person’s power. Sometimes artists relied on the formal trappings of authority to symbolize leadership. In artworks of such leaders, notice the following:

• Stance, expression, gestures
• Symbols of leadership
• Indications of faith, hope, or charity
• The leader’s attention and attitude
• The relationship between the leader and anyone else depicted
• The context in which the leader commanded power

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

How are this saint’s leadership qualities depicted? Would this person look like a leader today?

Is there a religious element clearly depicted in relation to the saint’s authority?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

Is there anything about the saint as depicted in this artwork that encourages you to imitate the saint’s qualities?

What leadership qualities do you feel are relevant today? Does this saint display them as depicted in this artwork?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation



What was going on in the artist’s time and place that might have influenced what the society thought was the mark of good leadership? For example, if this saint is shown as being humble, what was going on at the time that would have made humility laudable in the culture?