Wonderworker

Wonderworker is a title used to describe a person credited with performing miracles or extraordinary feats, especially within Christian hagiography. The term is often used interchangeably with miracle worker and is the literal translation of the Greek thaumaturgos and the related English word thaumaturge.

In Eastern Orthodox and, to a lesser extent, Catholic traditions, certain saints are venerated as wonderworkers. The epithet signifies that miracles are attributed to the saint's intercession or presence. The most widely known example in popular culture is Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, bishop of Myra in the 4th century, renowned for miracles attributed to him both in life and after death. Another celebrated wonderworker is Saint Spyridon, bishop of Cyprus, famed for miracles attributed to him during the early Christian era. Many other saints are honored with the title in various national churches.

In modern usage, the term can appear in biographies, liturgical texts, and religious literature to denote someone believed to perform or inspire miracles. It may also appear in secular fiction to describe a character with extraordinary powers, though in that context the term is typically fictional.