The Complete List of Doctors of the Church

The 33 Doctors of the Church are listed in alphabetical order.

What is a Doctor of the Church? This is a very special title accorded by the Church to certain saints. This title indicates that the writings and preachings of such a person are useful to Christians "in any age of the Church." Such men and women are also particularly known for the depth of understanding and the orthodoxy of their theological teachings. There are a certain number of "ecclesiastical writers" whose writings and preaching have an application limited to and directed at problems and opportunities their particular age. Such writings and preachings can be difficult to apply to other sets of conditions. Such are never named Doctors. There is also a division of Doctors of the East and the West. All three women Doctors are of the West. They are St. Catherine of Sienna and St. Teresa of Avila, and most recently, St. Therese - the Little Flower. As an additional note, the term Doctor does not signify everything contained in their writings are formally "de Fide" ("of the Faith").

For more details, see the Doctors of the Church site.

Name

Religious
Order

Lived
From

Lived
To

ST. ALBERT THE GREAT
Patron of natural scientists; called doctor universalis, doctor expertus.
Dominican 1200 1280?
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI
Patron of confessors and moralists. Founder of his order.
Redemptorists 1696 1787
ST. AMBROSE
One of the four traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. Opponent of Arianism in the West. Bishop of Milan.
  340 397
ST. ANSELM
Archbishop of Canterbury. Father of Scholasticism.
  1033 1109
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA
Evangelical Doctor.
Franciscan 1195 1231
ST. ATHANASIUS
Bishop of Alexandria. Dominant opponent of Arianism. Father of Orthodoxy.
  297 373
ST. AUGUSTINE
Bishop of Hippo. One of the four traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. Doctor of Grace.
  354 430
ST. BASIL THE GREAT
Father of monasticism in the East.
Cappadocian 329 379
ST. BEDE THE VENERABLE
Benedictine priest Father of English history.
Benedictine 673 735
ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
Called Mellifluous Doctor because of his eloquence.
Cistercian 1090 1153
ST. BONAVENTURE
Franciscan theologian. Seraphic Doctor.
Franciscan 1217 1274
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
Mystic. Second woman Doctor.
Dominican 1347 1380
ST. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA
Patriarch. Opponent of Nestorianism. Made key contributions to Christology.
  376 444
ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM
Bishop and opponent of Arianism in the East.
  315 387
ST. EPHRAEM THE SYRIAN
Biblical exegete and ecclesiastical writer. Called Harp of the Holy Spirit.
  306 373
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
Bishop, leader in Counter- Reformation. Patron of Catholic writers and the Catholic press.
  1567 1622
ST. GREGORY I THE GREAT
Pope. Fourth and last of the traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. Defended papal supremacy and worked for clerical and monastic reform.
  540 604
ST. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS
Called the Christian Demosthenes because of his eloquence and, in the Eastern Church, The Theologian.
Cappadocian 330 390
ST. HILARY OF POITIERS
Bishop. Called The Athanasius of the West.
  315 368
ST. ISIDORE OF SEVILLE
Archbishop, theologian, historian. Regarded as the most learned man of his time.
  560 636
ST. JEROME
One of the four traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. Father of biblical science.
  343 420
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Bishop of Constantinople. Patron of preachers and called Golden-Mouthed because of his eloquence.
  347 407
ST. JOHN DAMASCENE
Greek theologian. Called Golden Speaker because of his eloquence.
  675 749
ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS
Joint founder of the Discalced Carmelites along with St. Theresa of Avila. Doctor of Mystical Theology
Carmelites
(Discalced)
1542 1591
ST. LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI
Vigorous preacher of strong influence in the post-Reformation period.
  1559 1619
ST. LEO I THE GREAT
Pope. Wrote against Nestorian and Monophysite heresies and errors of Manichaeism and Pelagianism.
  400 461
ST. PETER CANISIUS
Jesuit theologian. Leader in the Counter-Reformation.
Jesuit 1521 1597
ST. PETER CHRYSOLOGUS
Bishop of Ravenna. Called Golden-Worded.
  400 450
ST. PETER DAMIAN
Ecclesiastical and clerical reformer.
Benedictine 1007 72
ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE
Defended doctrine under attack during and after the Reformation. Wrote two catechisms.
Jesuit 1542 1621
ST. TERESA OF AVILA
Spanish  nun and mystic. First woman Doctor. Joint founder of the Discalced Carmelites along with St. John of the Cross.
Carmelites
(Discalced)
1515 1582
ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX
French Carmelite nun. Known as The Little Flower, her autobiographical "Story of a Soul" has become a spiritual classic, inspiring millions to follow her "Little Way" of holiness. Already Patroness of the Missions, she was proclaimed the third woman Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II on October 19th, 1997.
Carmelites 1873 1897
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
Philosopher and theologian. Called Angelic Doctor. Patron of Catholic schools and education.
Dominican 1225 1274

 


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