Doctor of the Church

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A Doctor of the Church is a saint recognized by the Catholic Church for outstanding holiness and authoritative teaching, whose writings are considered especially important for Christian doctrine.

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Observed surface forms (1)


Statements (62)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Catholic honorific
ecclesiastical title
appliesTo saint
authorityType doctrinal authority
conferredBy Holy See
Pope
definedBy authoritative teaching
eminent learning
importance of writings for Christian doctrine
outstanding holiness
distinguishedFrom Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Theology
firstDoctorsTraditionally Ambrose of Milan
surface form: St. Ambrose

Augustine of Hippo
surface form: St. Augustine of Hippo

Gregory the Great
surface form: St. Gregory the Great

Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus
surface form: St. Jerome
hasCriteria eminent learning
holiness of life
official proclamation by the Church
orthodoxy of doctrine
hasGenderDiversity includes female saints
includes male saints
includes St. Alphonsus Liguori
Anselm of Canterbury
surface form: St. Anselm of Canterbury

Athanasius of Alexandria
surface form: St. Athanasius

Basil of Caesarea
surface form: St. Basil the Great

Venerable Bede
surface form: St. Bede the Venerable

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
surface form: St. Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Bonaventure
Catherine of Siena
surface form: St. Catherine of Siena

Cyril of Alexandria
surface form: St. Cyril of Alexandria

St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Ephrem the Syrian
surface form: St. Ephrem the Syrian

St. Francis de Sales
Gregory of Nazianzus
surface form: St. Gregory of Nazianzus

Hilary of Poitiers
surface form: St. Hilary of Poitiers

Isidore of Seville
surface form: St. Isidore of Seville

John Chrysostom
surface form: St. John Chrysostom

John of Damascus
surface form: St. John Damascene

John Henry Newman
surface form: St. John Henry Newman

San Juan de la Cruz
surface form: St. John of the Cross

St. Lawrence of Brindisi
Pope Leo I
surface form: St. Leo the Great

St. Peter Chrysologus
St. Peter Damian
Cardinal Robert Bellarmine
surface form: St. Robert Bellarmine

Teresa of Ávila
surface form: St. Teresa of Ávila

St. Thomas Aquinas
Thérèse of Lisieux
surface form: St. Thérèse of Lisieux
languageOfTerm Latin
LatinName Doctor Ecclesiae
recognizedFor importance for Christian doctrine
importance for Christian spirituality
importance for Christian theology
relatedConcept Apostolic Father
surface form: Church Father

saint
religiousTradition Roman Catholicism
surface form: Catholic Church
scopeOfTeaching whole Church
selectionProcess formal papal declaration
usedIn Catholic catechesis
Catholic liturgy
Catholic theology

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Saint Benedict of Nursia hasAttribute Doctor of the Church
this entity surface form: Doctor of the Church (in Eastern tradition, not formally in Roman Catholic list)
Aurelius Ambrosius honorificPrefix Doctor of the Church
Ambrose of Milan honorificSuffix Doctor of the Church
John of Damascus title Doctor of the Church