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

This sentiment has no equivalent in Islamic theology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

His father, the King, attends church most Sundays and has a deep interest in theology and the beliefs of other faiths.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

This is not fringe theology operating at a safe distance from power.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

On the religious front, Mojtaba Khamenei studied theology in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, where he also taught.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

In Maulbronn, Kepler heard their reverberations, studying, besides theology, Greek and Latin, music and mathematics.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• belief
• creed
• doctrine
• dogma
• faith