# theology

Pronunciation: say "thee-OL-uh-jee" /θiˈɒ.lə.d͡ʒi/

## Noun

1. The field that investigates the nature of God or of any god or gods, and whether religion as a whole is true.
   - Simple: The study of God or gods, and of whether religion is true.
   - _He earned a doctorate in theology before joining the seminary faculty._
   - _Medieval theology wrestled with how to reconcile faith and reason._
2. An organized method for interpreting spiritual works and beliefs and expressing them in practical form.
   - Simple: A clear system for turning religious ideas into rules and actions for daily life.
   - _The committee drafted a theology that translates ancient teachings into guidance for modern medical decisions._
   - _Liberation theology applies the gospel directly to struggles against poverty and oppression._
3. A specific doctrine or belief held within a religion, such as one concerning grace or the end of the world.
   - Simple: One belief that is part of a religion.
   - _A theology of grace runs through all of her sermons._
   - _The two denominations split over a theology concerning the end of the world._
4. The academic study of religions, their beliefs, and their practices; religious studies.
   - Simple: The school subject in which people learn about different religions.
   - _She teaches theology at a state university, covering Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity._
   - _Public schools in some countries include theology alongside history and geography._
5. Details that are matters of opinion and of only marginal importance. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Small details that depend on opinion and do not really matter.
   - _Whether the braces go on the same line is pure theology; the compiler doesn't care either way._
   - _Let's settle the database design with benchmarks and save the theology about naming for later._

## Origin

It comes through Middle English and French from Latin theologia, which came from Koine Greek θεολογία (theología). This was built from θεός (theós, 'god') and λόγος (lógos, 'word, study').

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/theology (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).