Doctors of the Church facts for kids

Doctor of the Church (from Latin docere, to teach) is a title used in some Christian churches. It is given to people who are recognized as having been of particular importance, especially in their contribution to theology or doctrine. In the Catholic Church, this title is given to a saint who has written important works. The honour is given rarely, and only after canonisation. Saint Ambrose (330-397), Saint Augustine of Hippo (53-430), Saint Jerome, and Pope Gregory I are known as the Four Great Doctors (of the Western Church). In the Eastern Church, these are John Chrysostom, Saint Basil of Caesarea (or Basil the Great), Gregory of Nazianzus and Athanasius of Alexandria. Other Doctros of the Church incliude Thomas Aquinas, Anselm of Canterbury, Teresa of Ávila, Thérèse of Lisieux and Hildegard von Bingen.

Images for kids

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  Isidore of Seville, a 7th-century Doctor of the Church, depicted by Murillo (c. 1628) with a book, which is a common iconographical attribute for a doctor

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  The Four Great Doctors of the Western Church were often depicted in art, here by Pier Francesco Sacchi, c. 1516. From the left: Saint Augustine, Pope Gregory I, Saint Jerome, and Saint Ambrose, with their attributes.

See also

In Spanish: Doctor de la Iglesia para niños