The 35 Doctors of the Church

Rev. Fr. Christopher Rengers, O.F.M.Cap.

• Publisher: TAN Books
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781618906489
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

"The declaration that a saint is a Doctor of the Universal Church implies the recognition of a charism of wisdom bestowed by the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church..." — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI The 35 Doctors of the Church presents the most comprehensive and fasci-nating collection available anywhere on the lives and labors of the saints who have been declared the Church's Doctors. From St. Athanasius (c. 297–373) to St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897), you'll find the amazing stories of 35 extraordinary men and women who are honored both for their holiness and for the eminence of their teachings about the Faith. Their work and witness are truly timeless; their lives and wisdom show us how to be holy in our own lives, how to confront the challenges of today, and how to proclaim the Gospel to a modern world hungering for Jesus Christ. Originally published as The 33 Doctors of the Church by Father Christopher Rengers, O.F.M. Cap., The 35 Doctors of the Church has been updated by Dr. Matthew E. Bunson, K.H.S., to include two new chapters about recently pro-claimed Doctors, St. John of Ávila and St. Hildegard of Bingen. The revised edition also includes a new Introduction with a detailed explanation of how the Church proclaims Doctors and their meaning for today.

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SAINT ATHANASIUS

The Father of Orthodoxy
c. 297–373

A GREAT controversy that involved emperors, popes and bishops, that stirred up intrigue and bloodshed, that shook Christianity to its depths, centered on one simple, sure answer in the Catechism. The answer goes very simply: “The chief teaching of the Catholic Church about Jesus Christ is that He is God made man.”

In the providence of God, one man more than any other made the right answer prevail. Because of his championship of this fundamental truth he is called “The Father of Orthodoxy”— “orthodoxy” meaning “right teaching.” Cardinal Newman compares him to St. Paul as a defender of Christ’s divine Sonship. He calls him “Royal-hearted Athanase, with Paul’s own mantle blest.”

Counting from the date of his birth, St. Athanasius, defender of Christ’s divine Sonship, is the earliest Doctor of the Church. It is fitting that the first man to merit this rare title of honor should have earned it by devotion to a truth of such primary importance. St. Athanasius defended the divine Sonship at the cost of immense personal discomfort, suffering and danger. His whole life was shaped around his defense of the divinity of Christ at a time when powerful imperial forces, and perhaps even the majority of churchmen, had fallen into the Arian Heresy. This situation is summed up in the famous saying: Athanasius contra mundum—“Athanasius against the world.” At a famous meeting at Milan between the Emperor Constantius and Pope Liberius, the Emperor had challenged the Pope: “Who are you to stand up for Athanasius against the world?” St. Athanasius’ life was a life of high adventure that developed precisely from his firm adherence to and clear exposition of the doctrine that Christ is the true Son of God.

From the Emperor Julian’s description of St. Athanasius as a “manikin,” we gather that he was not very tall. In earlier years his hair was auburn, later turning white. He was energetic in manner, bright and pleasing of countenance, with vivacious eyes; he was engaging and pleasing in conversation. St. Gregory Nazianzen said that St. Athanasius was

hospitable to strangers, kindly to suppliants, accessible to all, slow to anger, pleasant in conversation, still more pleasant in temper, effective alike in discourse and in action, assiduous in devotions, helpful to Christians of every class and age … a theologian with the speculative, a comfort to the afflicted, a staff to the aged, a guide of the young, a physician to the sick … a prelate as St. Paul described by anticipation, when in writing to Timothy he showed what a bishop ought to be.

“The Father of Orthodoxy”

St. Athanasius first attracted considerable attention at the First Council of Nicaea, in 325 A.D., where he had accompanied Alexander, then Patriarch of Alexandria. Here the term homoousios, “of one substance,” was formally introduced to describe the consubstantiality of God the Son with God the Father. The term homoousios, or “consubstantial,” was to become the watchword and standard of orthodoxy. Here the creed known as the Nicene Creed was essentially formulated, though not yet completely. St. Athanasius championed the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, explaining with clarity and force why the Son was equal to and consubstantial with the Father. The First Council of Nicaea anathematized the teaching of Arius, but the Arian struggle was to continue for 50 years.

Five months after the Council of Nicaea, Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria, died. The bishops of Egypt, spurred on in part by the enthusiastic cries of the people: “Give us Athanasius! He will be a bishop indeed,” elected the youthful Athanasius to be the Bishop of Alexandria. He was then just about 30 years old. The exact date of his birth is not known. He was born about 297 A.D. and died on May 2, 373. Nothing is known of his family. From the thoroughness of his education, it is presumed that he came from well-to-do parents who could afford a good education. But he could have received much of this through the influence of Alexander, who very likely took early notice of him and brought him into the episcopal household.

The Empire’s Most-Wanted “Criminal”

When one thinks of a bishop, one pictures him as residing in his diocese, directing its affairs. If he is banished or martyred, that is the dramatic end of the story. St. Athanasius was the Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt for almost 47 years. During that time he was driven into exile not once, but five times, and by four different Roman emperors: Constantine, Constantius, Julian and Valens.

His banishment by Julian lasted as he had predicted, just a short time. The first exile—that under Constantine—was from February 5, 336 until November 23, 337. The time spent away from his see under Constantius and Valens covered at least 10 actual years. The gathering storms that led to his flights or banishments covered many of the other years of his life. In between, he did have some periods of relative calm in which to administer his patriarchate.

But the bitter enemies that sought to destroy him were always at work plotting, at times trying to have him discredited and condemned by Church councils, at times whispering lies against him into the ears of the Emperor, trying—and at times succeeding—in having him removed from his bishopric. For some time he was officially condemned to death. He was often in danger of being killed by fierce personal enemies. The roughness of the times is shown by the fact that two usurpers to his see of Alexandria, Gregory and George, both met violent ends. The latter was kicked to death by the pagans of the city, who disliked him so much that his body was then burned and his ashes flung into the sea.

Both these usurping bishops were Arians. They followed Arius, the tall, pale heresiarch who denied that Christ is really God. Arius was a priest of Alexandria. The most active persecutor of St. Athanasius, however, was the Arian bishop, Eusebius of Nicomedia. This powerful, scheming diplomat never gave up. He invented one false charge after another against Athanasius; he won over the Emperor Constantius II to the Arian viewpoint and made him the “scourge and torment” of Athanasius. Constantius said that he would prize a victory over Athanasius more than over Silvanus or Magnentius, his political enemies.

Constantius II eventually stood alone as undisputed ruler of the empire. He had overcome all opposition. Even Hosius of Cordova, who had been the presiding bishop at Nicaea, when beyond the age of 100 was browbeaten and literally beaten into signing an Arian creed (357 A.D.).

Appeals to Rome

When St. Athanasius, who was Patriarch of an important Eastern diocese, was deposed by Eastern Arian bishops, he appealed to Rome. Writing to the Emperor, he said: “When I left Alexandria, I did not go to your brother’s headquarters or to any other persons, but only to Rome; and having laid my case before the Church (for this was my only concern), I spent my time in the public worship.” (Quoted in Upon This Rock, Stephen Ray, ed., Ignatius Press, 1999, p. 201).

In his correspondence, St. Athanasius has also preserved for posterity the celebrated letter of Pope St. Julius I, which defended Athanasius and restored the bishopric from which he had been wrongfully deposed. The letter of Julius called the action of the Arian bishops a novel action, indicating that earlier practice had been to refer such cases to Rome. Instead, the bishops had deposed Athanasius and then sent legates to ask approval for their action. Pope St. Julius writes:

Why was nothing said to us [Pope Julius and the Roman Church] concerning the Church of the Alexandrians in particular? Are you ignorant that the custom has been for word to be written first to us, and then for a just decision to be passed from this place? If then any such suspicion rested upon the Bishop there, notice thereof ought to have been sent to the Church of this place [Rome]; whereas, after neglecting to inform us, and proceeding on their own authority as they pleased, now they desire to obtain our concurrence in their decisions, though we never condemned him. Not so have the constitutions of Paul, not so have the traditions of the Fathers directed; this is another form of procedure, a novel practice. I beseech you, readily bear with me; what I write is for the common good. For what we have received from the blessed Apostle Peter, that I signify to you; and I should not have written this, as deeming that these things were manifest unto all men, had not these proceedings so disturbed us. (Quoted in Upon This Rock, pp. 199–200).

On a less happy note, we have the equally famous (though disputed) signature of Pope Liberius on a weak Christological statement, known in history as “the fall of Liberius.” Though historians are not unanimous, it is widely agreed that, under duress, Pope Liberius signed an Arian or semi-Arian formula—which he later retracted—and that at one point he signed a condemnation or excommunication of St. Athanasius. This temporary lapse on the part of Pope Liberius is referred to by St. Jerome, by St. Athanasius himself, St. Hilary and by the famous 5th-century historian Sozomen. Cardinal Newman treats of the fall of Liberius in his The Arians of the Fourth Century. Rev. Alban Butler in his classic Lives of the Saints wrote that Pope Liberius “yielded to the snare laid for him, to the great scandal of the Church. He subscribed the condemnation of St. Athanasius and a confession or creed which had been framed by the Arians at Sirmium….”

The document which Pope Liberius signed while in exile was likely that of the first formula of Sirmium. The formula was not heretical, but it was defective and weak because it omitted the term homoousios. The case of Pope Liberius passed scrutiny at Vatican Council I (1869–1870), which defined papal infallibility. Liberius, strong defender of Athanasius and of the doctrine of the Council of Nicaea, but weakened by the rigors of exile and apparently hoping to return to Rome, had signed a defective formula. Athanasius mentions the fact in his history of the Arians (Apologia contra Arianos). Pope Liberius’ weakness was both preceded and followed by firmness in upholding the true Catholic teaching. The fall of Liberius was a temporary lapse, of which he soon repented, and Liberius is now Saint Liberius.

In these times St. Jerome could express his feelings with the sad exaggeration: “The whole world groaned and was amazed to find itself Arian.” But the symbol of opposition to Arianism, its powerful antagonist, could not be subdued. When Constantius wanted to end the story by killing him, St. Athanasius escaped into the desert.

The importance of St. Athanasius to the Catholic cause can be judged by the universal opposition of those who wanted to make the world Arian, or at least semi-Arian. It can be judged from the political importance of those who sought to destroy him. When the new Emperor, Julian the Apostate, wanted to restore paganism, his advisers told him that the worship of the gods could not be re-established with the Archbishop of Alexandria on the scene. It was then that Julian contemptuously called St. Athanasius “this manikin” and threatened him with worse than banishment.

The Adventures of Athanasius

St. Athanasius fled Alexandria and was pursued up the Nile. When the imperial officers were gaining on him, he ordered his boat turned around. At the time it was still hidden from the pursuers by a bend in the river. When the two boats crossed paths, the Roman officers, not personally knowing Athanasius, shouted out, asking if anyone had seen Athanasius. St. Athanasius himself answered them: “He is not very far off.” The other boat hastily continued up the river.

Had he wanted to, St. Athanasius could have written a very interesting account of his hairbreadth escapes. He was a fugitive for many years. He is said to have returned at times in disguise to Alexandria. Even if this is not true, the fact that he was the most wanted “criminal” in the Roman Empire for such a long time would have meant a constant dependence upon places of hiding and shelter; it would have meant a great deal of quick thinking to escape arrest.

At one time St. Athanasius was accused of practicing magic. This was a charge not easy to refute, as it immediately stirred up fear. His accusers showed a wooden box holding the blackened, withered hand of a dead man. This, they said, was the hand of Arsenius, the bishop of Hypsele. They claimed he had been poisoned by Athanasius, who had allegedly also cut off his hand and used it in the practice of magic. Even after St. Athanasius had refuted all the other charges levied against him at this particular time, the suspicion of practicing magic lingered. Then, in the presence of a council of bishops at Tyre in 335, St. Athanasius dramatically introduced Arsenius, who was supposed to be dead. Arsenius was clothed in a long-sleeved robe. Athanasius asked him to put forth slowly first one hand, and then the other. “You see,” he told the council, “he has two hands. Where is the third, which I cut off? God has created men with two hands only.”

It was at this same council that a woman, bribed to accuse St. Athanasius of immorality, was brought forward. On this occasion a priest named Timothy did some quick thinking and stood up to confront the woman: “Do you really accuse me of this crime?” he asked. She replied, “Certainly,” thus showing the whole group that she did not even know St. Athanasius by sight.

His Writings

A convenient sample of St. Athanasius’ many writings is provided by the eleven Readings used in the Liturgy of the Hours as published in 1971. The earliest of the Doctors of the Church greets us on the first day of each year, now observed as the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. The selected Reading II for the day shows his “clarity, precision and simplicity,” qualities by which the great patrologist, Johannes Quasten, characterizes the style of St. Athanasius. In this passage St. Athanasius declares:

Gabriel used careful and prudent language when he announced His [Christ’s] birth. He did not speak of “what will be born in you,” in order to avoid the impression that a body would be introduced into her womb from outside; he spoke of “what will be born from you,” so that we might know by faith that her child originated within her and from her … What...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• To All My Teachers …
• CONTENTS
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Bibliographical Note
• Introduction
• Introduction to the Revised Edition
• 1. St. Athanasius :The Father of Orthodoxy c. 297–373
• 2. St. Ephrem: Harp of the Holy Ghost Mary’s Own Singer Father of Hymnody c. 306–c. 373
• 3. St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Doctor of Catechesis c. 315–386
• 4. St. Hilary of Poitiers: The Athanasius of the West c. 315–c. 368
• 5. St. Gregory Nazianzen: The Theologian The Christian Demosthenes c. 329–c. 389
• 6. St. Basil the Great: Father of Eastern Monasticism c. 329–379
• 7. St. Ambrose: Patron of the Veneration of Mary c. 340–397
• 8. St. Jerome: Father of Biblical Science c. 342–c. 420
• 9. St. John Chrysostom: The Golden-Mouthed Doctor of the Eucharist c. 347–407
• 10. St. Augustine: Doctor of Grace Doctor of Doctors 354–430
• 11. St. Cyril of Alexandria: Doctor of the Incarnation Seal of the Fathers c. 376–444
• 12. Pope St. Leo the Great: Doctor of the Unity of the Church c. 400–461
• 13. St. Peter Chrysologus: The Golden-Worded c. 406–c. 450
• 14. Pope St. Gregory the Great: The Greatest of the Great c. 540–604
• 15. St. Isidore of Seville: Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages c. 560–636
• 16. St. Bede the Venerable: Father of English History c. 673–735
• 17. St. John Damascene: Doctor of Christian Art Doctor of the Assumption c. 676–c. 749
• 18. St. Peter Damian: Monitor of the Popes c. 1007–1072
• 19. St. Anselm: Father of Scholasticism Defender of the Rights of the Church 1033–1109
• 20. St. Bernard of Clairvaux: The Mellifluous Doctor Oracle of the Twelfth Century Thaumaturgus of the West Arbiter of Christendom The Last of the Fathers c. 1090–1153
• 21. St. Hildegard of Bingen: The Teutonic Prophetess Sibyl of the Rhine 1098–1179
• 22. St. Anthony of Padua: Doctor of the Gospel Hammer of Heretics Ark of Both Covenants 1195–1231
• 23. St. Albert the Great: (Albertus Magnus) The Universal Doctor c. 1206–1280
• 24. St. Bonaventure: The Seraphic Doctor c. 1221–1274
• 25. St. Thomas Aquinas: The Angelic Doctor The Common Doctor c. 1225–1274
• 26. St. Catherine of Siena: The Seraphic Virgin Mystic of the Incarnate Word Mystic of the Mystical Body of Christ 1347–1380
• 27. St. John of Ávila: Apostle of Andalusia The Master 1499–1569
• 28. St. Teresa of Ávila: Doctor of Prayer 1515–1582
• 29. St. Peter Canisius: Doctor of the Catechism 1521–1597
• 30. St. Robert Bellarmine: Prince of Apologists Gentle Doctor of The Controversies 1542–1621
• 31. St. John of the Cross: Doctor of Mystical Theology 1542–1591
• 32. St. Lawrence of Brindisi: The Apostolic Doctor 1559–1619
• 33. St. Francis de Sales: The Gentleman Doctor Patron of the Catholic Press Everyman’s Spiritual Director 1567–1622
• 34. St. Alphonsus Liguori: Prince of Moralists Most Zealous Doctor Patron of Confessors and Moral Theologians 1696–1787
• 35. St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Doctor of The Little Way of Spiritual Childhood Doctor of Merciful Love 1873–1897
• Appendix I: Feast Days
• Appendix II: Office of Readings