www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West "Doctors of the church"

What if any does the idea of "Doctors of the Church" have on Byzantine or other eastern traditions. As far as I know the title does not exist in eastern churches, and many of the doctors are western saints with western theological promulgations. The closest thing I can think of are the Three Holy Hierarchs in honor and sanctity of teaching. I would appreciate all of your input. Thanks in advance!

Well, the Doctors of the Church, are, well, the doctors of the church. This includes the whole church, both east and west. I don't know about the Orthodox, though. God Bless!

Actually, it's a Latin title, which, while applied to some of the Fathers, is also applied to a number of second millennium Latin theologians whose views are not entirely consistent with the perspectives of the Eastern Churches. So, while we honor, venerate and learn from those Fathers who are also Doctors, in general we do not pay that much attention to the Doctors who are not Fathers.

I agree with your view Stuart, but in arguing that position to Latin Catholics, they are taken aback and push that Doctors are for the WHOLE CHURCH. Not only with this, but there is confusion that a Church can have things peculiar to only one Rite, even if it is the biggest. They often cite the inclusion of Eastern Fathers in the Doctors, but I think my best retort is where are the Armenian Fathers (Some of which are unique only to the Armenians).

Have you encountered this?

Haven't we all?

It is my understanding that "Doctor of the Church" is primarily a liturgical distinction. Example: Ignatius of Antioch is NOT a doctor of the church because he is a martyr, and martyrdom takes precedence. Essentially it is class of saints, with their own common, proper antiphons, readings, etc.

As such, I'm not really sure it has a meaning for us Byzantines, beyond the point of the title indicating that the writings and teachings of these saints are considered important by the Latin Church.

It certainly isn't an exclusive list of great theologians, even from a Latin perspective as is witnessed by the omission of Ignatius of Antioch.

The title of "Doctor of the Church" was introduced by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298, when it was bestowed on the four great Western Fathers of the Church, St. Gregory the Great ("Dialogus"), St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome. Their feasts were given the rank of duplex in the Roman Calendar and took precedence over ordinary semiduplex Sundays.

In 1568, the Dominican Pope St. Pius V added the four great Eastern Fathers, St. John Chrystostom, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nazianzus, and St. Athanasius, as well as St. Thomas Aquinas.

Since then, there has been a proliferation of Doctors of the Church. Feasts of Doctors of the Church now rank as memoriæ and no longer outrank ordinary Sundays, but there is a special Common of Doctors in the Liturgy of the Hours. I like the Magnificat antiphon for Doctors of the Church: "O Doctor optime, Ecclesiæ sanctæ lumen, beate N., divinæ legis amator, deprecare pro nobis Filium Dei."

I guess the short answer is that we don't have "Doctors of the Church" as a category, but if the Latin church wants to give this title to some of its saints, well that is their business. And if they want to put this title on to our saints, well...we can't stop them I suppose. Neither is it a "deal breaker".

Isn't it true that in the Eastern Churches, the age of the Fathers has never closed? It seems to me that there are Doctors of the Church in the East also, but we call them Fathers of the Church while the West had to begin to call its new Fathers of the Church Doctors of the Church because it claims that the time of the Fathers is over.

The Roman Missal also contains a common for Doctors of the Church.

The Orthodox give the title "Doctor of the Church" to St. Gregory Palamas, and while he isn't one of the 33 "Doctors of the Church" commemorated liturgically by the Roman Rite (and we don't use the term "doctor" liturgically anyway), I don't see any reason why we shouldn't use that term for him ourselves.

Excellent point, Peregrinu. I completely agree.

St. Gregory Palamas, intercede for us!

Many blessings,
Scott

Thanks for all the help.

I tried searching up for documentation regarding Palamas being called a Doctor by the Russians but I could not come up with anything. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!