doctrine

noun3

1. •
   A belief or tenet, especially about philosophical or theological matters.

   • The Incarnation is a basic doctrine of Christianity.
   • The Four Noble Truths summarise the main doctrines of Buddhism.
2. •
   The body of teachings of an ideology, most often a religion, or of an ideological or religious leader, organization, group, or text.

   • What is the understanding of marriage and family in orthodox Marxist doctrine?
3. •
   A self-imposed policy governing some aspect of a country's foreign relations, especially regarding what sort of behavior it will or will not tolerate from other countries.