doctrine

Everyday

1. (church) A belief or set of beliefs taught by a church or religion, such as the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. tree →
2. (formal) A set of ideas or rules that a government, army or group follows. tree →
3. (law) A rule or principle that courts follow. tree →

In the lessons

In religion lessons pupils learn that different churches agree on some doctrines and disagree on others. On the news a «doctrine» can be a country's plan for how it acts. Phrases: «Christian doctrine», «church doctrine», «the doctrine of», «teach a doctrine».

Examples

• The doctrine of the Trinity says God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. tree →
• Different churches have different doctrines about baptism. tree →
• The priest explained the church's doctrine. tree →
• The leader's doctrine was to never give up land. tree →
• Students of law learn about legal doctrines. tree →
• Christians believe the doctrine of the resurrection. tree →
• It is believed that in later times a still deeper meaning was conveyed by this beautiful myth, viz., the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. tree →

Note

Countable and uncountable. Adjective: doctrinal. Formal word. Related: dogma (a belief that must be accepted without question), creed (a short statement of beliefs).

In Jewish tradition

In Moses' song it means teaching, the Torah as instruction that falls like rain.

Interpretation. Tradition reads Torah as "teaching," and Sefer Yetzirah is seen as a teaching of the Unity of God, said to go back to Abraham.

Examples

• My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew; as the small rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb. (Torah DEU.32.2, JPS 1917) tree →
• Attention must be called to the essential peculiarity of Hebrew doctrines, the inextricable and necessary associa- (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• The following interesting comment is from Rabbi Moses Botarel:-"It was Abraham our Father-blessed be he who wrote this book to condemn the doctrine of the sages of his time, who were incredulous of the supreme dogma of the Unity. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching. (Writings PRO.4.2, JPS 1917) tree →
• And thou hast said: 'My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in Thine eyes.' (Writings JOB.11.4, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Countable and uncountable. Adjective: doctrinal. Formal word. Related: dogma (a belief that must be accepted without question), creed (a short statement of beliefs).