theology

American  

[thee-ol-uh-jee] / θiˈɒl ə dʒi /

noun

plural

theologies

1. the field of study and analysis that treats of God and of God's attributes and relations to the universe; study of divine things or religious truth; divinity.

2. a particular form, system, branch, or course of this study.

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theology British  

/ θɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the systematic study of the existence and nature of the divine and its relationship to and influence upon other beings

2. a specific branch of this study, undertaken from the perspective of a particular group

   feminist theology

3. the systematic study of Christian revelation concerning God's nature and purpose, esp through the teaching of the Church

4. a specific system, form, or branch of this study, esp for those preparing for the ministry or priesthood

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theology Cultural  

1. The disciplined study of religious questions, such as the nature of God, sin, and salvation (see also salvation).

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Other Word Forms

• antitheology
  adjective
• theologist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of theology

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English theologie, from Old French, from Late Latin theologia, from Greek theología; equivalent to theo- + -logy

Explanation

Theology is the study of religion, plain and simple. Of course, religion isn’t simple, so theology covers a lot of subjects, like rituals, divine beings, the history of religions, and the concept of religious truth. Theology is taught to priests and ministers so they can better understand their religion, and it’s also taught in non-religious colleges to anyone who is curious about the ideas and effects of religion. The first half of theology is theo-, which means god in Greek. The suffix -logy means “the study of,” so theology literally means “the study of god," but we usually expand it to mean the study of religion more broadly.

Example Sentences

Just war was always a pragmatic compromise with history, never a core doctrine, said Staglianò, the president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Rome, in an article published on a Vatican website.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Dr James Englinton is a a senior lecturer in Reformed Theology at Edinburgh University and has family from Lewis.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2024

He returned to the U.S. in 1956 and enrolled in the Graduate School of Theology at Oberlin College, where he met King in 1957.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2024

But writing in Religion and Theology in 2022, authors Nicole M. Bauer and J. Andrew Doole marveled, "Exorcism is flourishing once again in the Roman Catholic Church today."

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2023

“We’ve fixed you up an office here at the Bridwell Library,” he said, referring to the library of the Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Related Words

• belief
• creed
• doctrine
• dogma
• faith