theology n
1. the rational and systematic study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truth [syn: divinity]
2. a particular system or school of religious beliefs and teachings; "Jewish theology"; "Roman Catholic theology" [syn: theological system]
3. the learned profession acquired by specialized courses in religion (usually taught at a college or seminary); "he studied theology at Oxford"

Theology \The*ol"o*gy\, n.; pl. Theologies. [L. theologia, Gr. ?; ? God + ? discourse: cf. F. th['e]ologie. See Theism, and Logic.] The science of God or of religion; the science which treats of the existence, character, and attributes of God, his laws and government, the doctrines we are to believe, and the duties we are to practice; divinity; (as more commonly understood) ``the knowledge derivable from the Scriptures, the systematic exhibition of revealed truth, the science of Christian faith and life.'' Many speak of theology as a science of religion [instead of ``science of God''] because they disbelieve that there is any knowledge of God to be attained. --Prof. R. Flint (Enc. Brit.). Theology is ordered knowledge; representing in the region of the intellect what religion represents in the heart and life of man. --Gladstone. Ascetic theology, Natural theology. See Ascetic, Natural. Moral theology, that phase of theology which is concerned with moral character and conduct. Revealed theology, theology which is to be learned only from revelation. Scholastic theology, theology as taught by the scholastics, or as prosecuted after their principles and methods. Speculative theology, theology as founded upon, or influenced by, speculation or metaphysical philosophy. Systematic theology, that branch of theology of which the aim is to reduce all revealed truth to a series of statements that together shall constitute an organized whole. --E. G. Robinson (Johnson's Cyc.).

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Theology is the rational and systematic study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truth, or the learned profession acquired by specialized courses in religion, usually taught at a college or seminary.

Augustine of Hippo defined the Latin equivalent, theologia, as "reasoning or discussion concerning the Deity"; Theologians use various forms of analysis and argument (philosophical, ethnographic, historical, spiritual and others) to help understand, explain, test, critique, defend or promote any of myriad religious topics. Theology might be undertaken to help the theologian

Theology translates into English the Greek theologia (θεολογία) (from theos (θεός) meaning god and logos (λόγος) meaning word, discourse, or reasoning, plus the abstract substantive suffix ia), which had passed into Latin as theologia and into French as théologie. The English equivalent "theology" (Theologie, Teologye) had evolved by 1362. The sense the word has in English depends in large part on the sense the Latin and Greek equivalents had acquired in Patristic and medieval Christian usage, though the English term has now spread beyond Christian contexts.

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