Doctor of Divinity Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Doctor of Divinity by country or church == === British Isles === In the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Ireland]], the degree is a [[higher doctorate]] conferred by universities upon a religious scholar of standing and distinction, usually for accomplishments beyond the Ph.D. level. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ranked first in "academic precedence and standing".<ref name="University of Oxford"/> At the University of Cambridge, they rank ahead of all other doctors in the "order of seniority of graduates".<ref name="Order of Seniority of Graduates"/> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facultyoffice.org.uk/lambeth-degrees/recently-awarded-degrees/|title=recently awarded degrees - Faculty Office|first=Supported by Eastern Studio |last=www.eastdesign.net}}</ref> 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. === {{anchor}}United States === In the [[United States]], most doctors of divinity hold a degree conferred ''[[honoris causa]]'' by a church-related college, seminary, or university to recognize the recipient's achievements as a minister of religion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://degreedirectory.org/articles/Doctor_of_Divinity_Program_FAQs.html|title=Doctor of Divinity| work= degreedirectory.org}}</ref> For example, [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] graduated as a Ph.D. in [[systematic theology]] from [[Boston University]] in 1955 and subsequently received honorary doctor of divinity degrees from the [[Chicago Theological Seminary]] (1957), Boston University (1959), [[Wesleyan College]] (1964), and [[Springfield College]] (1964).<ref>{{cite web| url= http://norcalmlkfoundation.org/images/MLK2015-KingBioServicelearningFullerton.pdf| title= Biographical Sketch: Martin Luther King, Jr.| website= norcalmlkfoundation.org| publisher= The Northern California Martin Luther King Jr. Community Foundation| access-date= July 25, 2018| archive-date= 26 August 2018| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180826195220/http://norcalmlkfoundation.org/images/MLK2015-KingBioServicelearningFullerton.pdf| url-status= dead}}</ref> [[Billy Graham]], who received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from [[The King's College (New York)|The King's College]] and the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], was regularly addressed as "Dr. Graham", though his highest earned degree was a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in anthropology from [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Gibbs|first1= Nancy| title= God's Billy Pulpit| url= http://205.188.238.109/time/magazine/article/0,9171,979573-1,00.html|access-date=26 February 2014| magazine= [[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=15 November 1993| first2= Richard N. |last2= Ostling|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207023217/http://205.188.238.109/time/magazine/article/0,9171,979573-1,00.html|archive-date=7 December 2007}}</ref><ref name= "www2_BGEA">{{Cite web | title = Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Chronology | work = [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College]] | date = 17 June 2014 | access-date = 20 May 2015 | url = http://www2.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/bgeachro/bgeachron02.htm | language = en-us | archive-date = 26 June 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150626102644/http://www2.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/bgeachro/bgeachron02.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref> Under [[federal 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 plaintiff [[Universal Life Church]], so long as their issuance is limited to a course of instruction in the principles of the church or religious denomination".<ref name="leag_UNIV">{{cite court |litigants= Universal Life Church, Inc. v. United States |vol=372 |reporter= F.Supp. |opinion= 770 |pinpoint= |court= E.D. Cal. |date= 1 March 1974 |url= http://www.leagle.com/decision/19741142372FSupp770_11017 |access-date= 20 May 2015 |quote= |via= leagle.com }}</ref> 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 {{blockquote|any degree or diploma granted under this subdivision shall contain on its face ... a reference to the theological or religious aspect of the degree's subject area ... a degree awarded under this subdivision shall reflect the nature of the degree title, such as "associate of religious studies," "bachelor of religious studies," "master of divinity," or "doctor of divinity."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/education-code/edc-sect-94874.html|title= EDC § 94874 | website= FindLaw.com |publisher= California Code, Education Code}}</ref>}} In a 1976 interview with [[Morley Safer]] of the TV newsmagazine ''[[60 Minutes]]'', Universal Life Church founder [[Kirby J. Hensley]] professed 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."{{sfn|Jackman|2007}} 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" on ''curricula vitae''.<ref name= "ulc._ULCD">{{Cite web |title = ULC Degrees Accredited? |work = ulc.net | publisher= Universal Life Church Online |date = 2 June 2006 |access-date = 20 May 2015 |url = http://www.ulc.net/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/15/0/ulc-degrees-accredited-i-understand-that-the-ulc-degrees-are-accredited--by-whom-are-they-accredited-and-what-can-i-do-with-one |language = en-us |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150518171046/http://www.ulc.net/support/index.php?%2FKnowledgebase%2FArticle%2FView%2F15%2F0%2Fulc-degrees-accredited-i-understand-that-the-ulc-degrees-are-accredited--by-whom-are-they-accredited-and-what-can-i-do-with-one |archive-date = 18 May 2015 }}</ref> As of 2009, 20 U.S. states and [[Puerto Rico]] had some form of exemption provision under which religious institutions can grant religious degrees without accreditation or government oversight.{{efn|The places in the U.S. that have some form of exemption provision under which religious institutions can grant religious degrees without accreditation or government oversight are Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.<ref name= exempt/>}}<ref name= exempt>{{cite web| url= http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/religious_exempt.aspx |title= Religious Exempt Schools| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110221105944/http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/religious_exempt.aspx |archive-date= 2011-02-21 | publisher= [[Oregon Office of Degree Authorization|Oregon Student Assistance Commission Office of Degree Authorization]] | website= osac.state.or.us| access-date= March 21, 2011}}</ref> === Roman Catholic Church === In the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]], a doctor of divinity is usually the holder of an honorary degree, often conferred upon a [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|bishop]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://diohuron.org/bishop-saulo-awarded-doctor-of-divinity-degree-by-huron-college/|title=Bishop Saulo awarded Doctor of Divinity degree by Huron College | Diocese of Huron|website=diohuron.org|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115143430/https://diohuron.org/bishop-saulo-awarded-doctor-of-divinity-degree-by-huron-college/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forums.catholic.com/t/doctoral-requirement-for-bishops/494961|title=Doctoral Requirement for Bishops|date=27 June 2018|website=Catholic Answers Forums}}</ref> In the [[pontifical university]] system, a holder of the highest earned degree in [[Catholic theology]] is styled "[[Doctor of Sacred Theology]]" (in Latin, ''Sacrae Theologiae Doctor'', abbreviated STD). 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