Abrahamic / Middle Eastern Christianity The Doctors of the Church Share Flipboard Email Print Detail of a Melkite icon of three of the Eastern Doctors of the Church. Godong/Robert Harding World Imagery/Getty Images Christianity Catholicism Saints Beliefs and Teachings Prayers Tips Worship Holy Days and Holidays Christianity Origins The Bible The New Testament The Old Testament Practical Tools for Christians Christian Life For Teens Christian Prayers Weddings Inspirational Bible Devotions Denominations of Christianity Funerals and Memorial Services Christian Holidays Christian Entertainment Key Terms in Christianity Latter Day Saints View More By ThoughtCo Updated June 25, 2019 The Doctors of the Church are great saints known for their defense and explanation of the truths of the Catholic Faith. The original eight Doctors of the Church—four Western (Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine, Pope Saint Gregory the Great, and Saint Jerome) and four Eastern (Saint Athanasius, Saint Basil the Great, St. Gregory Nazianzen, and St. John Chrysostom)—were named by acclamation or common acknowledgment; the rest have been named by various popes, starting with the addition of St. Thomas Aquinas to the list by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568, when he promulgated the Tridentine Latin Mass. The Doctors of the Church In the 20th century, three female saints—Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Teresa of Avila, and Saint Therese of Lisieux—were added to the list. A fourth, Saint Hildegard of Bingen, was added by Pope Benedict XVI on October 7, 2012, when he also added Saint John of Avila to the list. Today, there are 35 officially recognized Doctors of the Church. St. Albertus Magnus (1200-80)Added by Pope Pius XI in 1931St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)Added by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1871Saint Ambrose (340-97)One of the original four Doctors of the Latin ChurchSaint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)Added by Pope Clement XI in 1720Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)Added by Pope Pius XII in 1946Saint Athanasius (297-373)One of the original four Doctors of the Eastern ChurchSaint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)One of the original four Doctors of the Latin ChurchSaint Basil the Great (329-379)One of the original four Doctors of the Eastern ChurchThe Venerable Bede (673-735)Added by Pope Leo XIII in 1899Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)Added by Pope Pius VIII in 1830Saint Bonaventure (1217-74)Added by Pope Sixtus V in 1588Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-80)Added by Pope Paul VI in 1970Saint Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)Added by Pope Leo XIII in 1883Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315-87)Added by Pope Leo XIII in 1883Saint Ephrem the Syrian (306-73)Added by Pope Benedict XV in 1920St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)Added by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1877Pope Saint Gregory the Great (540-604)One of the original four Doctors of the Latin ChurchSt. Gregory Nazianzen (330-90)One of the original four Doctors of the Eastern ChurchSaint Hilary of Poitiers (315-68)Added by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1851Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)Added by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012Saint Isidore of Seville (560-636)Added by Pope Innocent XIII in 1722Saint Jerome (343-420)One of the original four Doctors of the Latin ChurchSt. John Chrysostom (347-407)One of the original four Doctors of the Eastern ChurchSt. John Damascene (675-749)Added by Pope Leo XIII in 1883Saint John of Avila (1500-69)Added by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012Saint John of the Cross (1542-91)Added by Pope Pius XI in 1926Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619)Added by Blessed Pope John XXIII in 1959Pope Saint Leo the Great (400-61)Added by Pope Benedict XIV in 1754St. Peter Canisius (1521-97)Added by Pope Pius XI in 1925St. Peter Chrysologus (400-50)Added by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729St. Peter Damian (1007-72)Added by Pope Leo XII in 1828St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)Added by Pope Pius XI in 1931Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-82)Added by Pope Paul VI in 1970Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-97)Added by Pope John Paul II in 1997St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-74)Added by Pope Saint Pius V in 1568 Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation ThoughtCo. "The Doctors of the Church." Learn Religions, Feb. 8, 2021, learnreligions.com/doctors-of-the-church-542328. ThoughtCo. (2021, February 8). The Doctors of the Church. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/doctors-of-the-church-542328 ThoughtCo. "The Doctors of the Church." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/doctors-of-the-church-542328 (accessed March 2, 2021). copy citation