The Doctors of the Church: Thirty-
Three Men and Women Who Shaped
Christianity by Bernard McGinn
St. Martha Parish Okemos, Michigan Bulletin Book Club
Written by one of the great authorities on Catholic wisdom, this user
friendly resource is designed as a general introduction to the 33
remarkable individuals who shaped the understanding of the Church’s
faith. After a brief account of the concept and development of the office of
doctor ecclesiae, sketches of the lives and teachings of the influential
doctors are presented in chronological order. A list of major translations of
each doctor’s writings for further reading is also included.
Personal Review: The Doctors of the Church: Thirty-Three Men
and Women Who Shaped Christianity by Bernard McGinn
There is a rare and distinguished title in the church, little used and even
less understood--that of Doctor of the Church. To date, only 33 men and
women have been accorded the honour of being a Doctor of the Church,

and among these are some of the most influential figures of Christianity
(most of Christianity as a whole, and not just specifically Roman
Catholicism). They include the likes of Augustine, John Chrysostom,
Aquinas, and Teresa of Avila.--What is this title?--
Doctors of the Church have been so named because they have provided
critical insight into the life, practice, spirituality and definition of the church
at key historical points, and have done so in such as way as to endeavour
to teach and otherwise impart this knowledge to others. These are the
great teachers of the church, in word and deed. They are divided into three
broad categories. The Patristic Doctors are the notables among the early
church fathers, in the post-apostolic age to the close of the early round of
church councils. These Patristic Doctors are thirteen in number:Athanasius
of Alexandria
Ephrem the Syrian
Hilary of Poitiers
Cyril of Jerusalem
Basil of Caesarea
Gregory of Nazianzus
Ambrose of Milan
John Chrysostom
Jerome
Augustine of Hippo
Cyril of Alexandria
Peter Chrysologus
Leo the GreatThe next subgrouping is the Medieval Doctors:Gregory the
Great
Isador of Seville
Bede the Venerable
John of Damascus
Peter Damian
Anselm of Canterbury

Bernard of Clairvaux
Anthony of Padua
Albert the Great
Bonaventure of Bagnorea
Thomas Aquinas
Catherine of SienaThe next subgrouping is the Modern Doctors:Teresa of
Avila
Peter Canisius
John of the Cross
Robert Bellarmine
Lawrence of Brindisi
Francis de Sales
Alphonsus de Liguori
Theresa of LisieuxThe Patristic Doctors tend to be held in high regard by
all denominations, East and West, Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox. The
Medieval and Modern Doctors are often less regarded outside of Catholic
circles, but still have provided spiritual and theological insight that enriches
the entirety of Christianity.It is unclear what authority outside of the Papacy
can declare a Doctor of the Church -- this book remains ambiguous on that
point, too.`Although in the last four centuries it is only the Roman popes
who have been interested in adding new names to the list of doctors,
recent popes have not used their power of nomination to aggrandise the
papacy by adding more of their predecessors.... Since 1700, only one
pope, Leo I (declared a doctor in 1754), has made the list--and few would
disagree with this belated recognition of a teacher revered in both Eastern
and Western Christianity. A survey of the new doctors shows that the
bishops of Rome have continued to think of 'doctor' as an ecumenical
denomination, involving both Eastern and Western Christianity.'--What is
the future of this title?--
The most important aspect of the Doctors of the Church is without a doubt
their continuing influence in the development of life, practice, thinking and
spirituality of all of Christianity. A renewed interest in those who
demonstrated clearly the vocation of teaching in the church bodes well for
an increasingly community-driven model of church leadership. `What is
distinctive about the doctors as a group is the model they present of

combining the intense love of God and neighbour that defines sanctity with
a commitment to the intellectual work of learning, preaching, teaching, and
writing.'Doctors are different from saints in their status and role; these
people live as much through their writings as through their veneration and
intercessory aspects. With a concern toward the ecumenical nature of the
office doctor ecclesiae, McGinn argues for the inclusion of more Eastern
figures, as well as Protestant figures who illuminate truth in their own way
-- as Aquinas said, no one figure will ever embody or represent the fullness
of truth found in the church as a whole, and that definition of church must
be broadened beyond medieval political definitions.Bernard McGinn has
put together a good collection of brief biographies of these important
figures.
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