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

Philosophy and theology are now joined by machine intelligence in shining a light on what is human.

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

Jackson recounted in his autobiography that King told him, “Come with me full time and you’ll learn more theology in six months than you would in six years at the seminary.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Maimonides’ argument was, indeed, a “proof” of God’s existence—something incredibly valuable in any theology.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• belief
• creed
• doctrine
• dogma
• faith