Doctor of Divinity

ADoctor of Divinity(DDorDDiv;Latin:Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advancedacademic degreeindivinity(i.e.,Christian theologyandministry).  The term is more common in theEnglish-speaking worldthan elsewhere.  In theUnited KingdomandIreland, the DD is usually ahigher doctorateconferred upon a religious scholar of standing and distinction, usually for accomplishments beyond thePhDorThDlevel.  In theUnited States, the DD is generally anhonorary degree.  InCatholic universities, faculties oftheologyusually grant the degree ofDoctor of Sacred Theology(STD), but the DD may be awarded as an honorary degree.
In theUnited KingdomandIreland, the DD is ahigher doctorateconferred by universities upon a religious scholar of standing and distinction, usually for accomplishments beyond thePhDlevel.  Typically, an academic candidate will submit a collection of work which has been previously published in a peer-reviewed context and pay an examination fee.The university then assembles a committee of academics, both internal and external, who review the work submitted and decide on whether the candidate deserves the doctorate based on the submission. Most universities restrict candidacy to graduates or academic staff of several years' standing.
At theUniversity of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ranked first in "academic precedence and standing",while at theUniversity of Cambridgethey rank ahead of all other doctors in the "order of seniority of graduates".Traditionally,bishopsof theChurch of Englandand theChurch of Irelandwere granted a DD from one of theAnglicanuniversities (Oxford,Cambridge, orDublin), or as aLambeth degreeconferred by authority of theArchbishop of Canterbury.
In theUnited States, most doctors of divinity hold a degree conferredhonoris causaby a church-related college, seminary, or university to recognize the recipient's achievements as a minister of religion.For example,Martin Luther King Jr.graduated as a Ph.D. insystematic theologyfromBoston Universityin 1955 and subsequently received honorary doctor of divinity degrees from theChicago Theological Seminary(1957), Boston University (1959),Wesleyan College(1964), andSpringfield College(1964).Billy Graham, who received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees fromThe King's Collegeand theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was regularly addressed as "Dr. Graham", though his highest earned degree was aBachelor of Artsdegree in anthropology fromWheaton College.
Underfederal law, a 1974 judgement accepted expert opinion that an "honorary doctor of divinity is a strictly religious title with no academic standing. Such titles may be issued by bona fide churches and religious denominations, such as plaintiffUniversal Life Church, so long as their issuance is limited to a course of instruction in the principles of the church or religious denomination".However, under the California Education Code, "an institution owned, controlled, and operated and maintained by a religious organization lawfully operating as a nonprofit religious corporation pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 9110) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code" that offers "instruction... limited to the principles of that religious organization, or to courses offered pursuant to Section 2789 of Business and Professions Code" may confer "degrees and diplomas only in the beliefs and practices of the church, religious denomination, or religious organization" so long as "the diploma or degree is limited to evidence of completion of that education"; institutions "shall not award degrees in any area of physical science", while
In a 1976 interview withMorley Saferof the TV newsmagazine60 Minutes, Universal Life Church founderKirby J. Hensleyprofessed that the church's honorary doctor of divinity degree was "...just a little piece of paper. And it ain't worth anything, you know, under God's mighty green Earth—you know what I mean?—as far as value."In 2006, Universal Life Church minister Kevin Andrews advised potential degree recipients not to misrepresent the title as an educational achievement to employers, recommending instead that it would be appropriate to list such credentials "under the heading of Titles, Awards, or Other Achievements" oncurricula vitae.
As of 2009, 20 U.S. states andPuerto Ricohad some form of exemption provision under which religious institutions can grant religious degrees without accreditation or government oversight.
In theCatholic Church, a doctor of divinity is usually the holder of an honorary degree, often conferred upon abishop.In thepontifical universitysystem, a holder of the highest earned degree inCatholic theologyis styled "Doctor of Sacred Theology" (in Latin,Sacrae Theologiae Doctor, abbreviated STD).
A doctor of divinity should not be confused with aDoctor of Theology(Th.D.), the holder of aresearch doctoratein theology awarded by universities anddivinity schools. However, many universities award aPh.D.rather than a Th.D. to graduates of higher-level religious studies programs. ADoctor of Sacred Theology(STD) holds another research doctorate, in particular awarded by Catholicpontifical universitiesand faculties. ADoctor of Ministry(D.Min.) holds another doctorate-level religious degree, which is aprofessional doctoraterather than a research doctorate.
Christopher St. Germain's bookThe Doctor and Student(1528) describes a dialogue between a Doctor of Divinity and a law student in England containing the grounds of those laws together with questions and cases concerning the equity thereof.