theology

American  

[thee-ol-uh-jee] / θiˈɒl ə dʒi /

noun

theologies plural

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

Derived Forms

• theologist
  noun
• antitheology
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• theologies
  plural

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

See Examples For:

theology theologies

We don’t share the same theology, and we didn’t inherit the same cultural story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

There’s a lot of theology in it, actually.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

It’s the kind of idea that exorcists playing loose with theology might be attracted to, but not something the church itself seems inclined to back.

From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026

We are queer Christians who have spent decades studying theology.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

The mother looked young, and the daughter looked old; the mother’s complexion was pink, and the daughter’s was yellow; the mother set up for frivolity, and the daughter for theology.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Visually, “Sun Ra: Do the Impossible” strives to be a representation of its subject’s floating collage of philosophies, theologies and ecstatic musical aspirations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

"I fully respect those who have different theologies from mine but I don't respect misogyny when I encounter it and I think it's good that we are seen publicly in these roles."

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2023

These secular theologies provide coordinates of transcendental meaning—even if that meaning is life-denying and humanity-debasing—that explain the place of human beings on the Earth, and ultimately, in the cosmos.

From Slate ● Jan. 26, 2023

But “Punisher: Purgatory” is also an perfect example of how such alignments with more traditional theologies also rarely grab hold in the Marvel canon for more than a few moments.

From Salon ● May 28, 2017

The great majority of the religions of men are theologies, for the majority of men believe in some form of personal divine power.

From A Rational Theology As Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Widtsoe, John A.

Related Words

• belief
• creed
• doctrine
• dogma
• faith