John E. (John Eleazer) Remsburg

Born in 1848 in Iowa, John E. Remsburg became an American author, speaker, and religious skeptic whose work reached a wide audience during the freethought movement. He is best remembered for writing on Christianity, the Bible, and the history of religion in a direct, argumentative style meant for general readers.

Remsburg published several influential skeptical works, including The Christ, The Bible, and The Bible: An Authorized Study. He also became known for compiling what is often called the "Remsburg List," a set of historical figures said not to have mentioned Jesus, which kept his name in circulation long after his lifetime.

He died in 1919, but his writing still reflects an important strand of American religious dissent: popular, combative, and aimed at readers who wanted to question accepted beliefs for themselves.