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

The biblical passage recounts how the serpent, typically interpreted as the devil in Christian theology, tempted Eve to sin by eating the forbidden fruit.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

David and Margaret meet in England in 1963, where David is a popular young priest and Margaret, though a layperson, is working at his side to teach theology to female seminarians.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

“If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful. You’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in the truth,” he admonished the pontiff.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

The Founders didn’t conflate theology with virtue or believe religion has meaning without the underlying common morals it imparts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Liberation theology meant that the Christian faith carried an obligation to promote social justice, and from its own resources the Church had a duty to help the poor wherever and whenever possible.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• belief
• creed
• doctrine
• dogma
• faith