Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, "God", + λογος, logos, "word" or "reason"). God is the monotheistic concept of a supernatural Supreme Being who is the creator of the Universe. ...

It can also refer to the study of other religious topics. Many Wikipedia articles on religious topics are not yet listed on this page. ...

A theologian is a person learned in theology.

Albert the Great, patron saint of Christian Theologians

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Albertus Magnus (fresco, 1352, Treviso, Italy) Albertus Magnus (1193? - 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great and Albert of Cologne, was a Dominican friar who became famous for his universal knowledge and advocacy for the peaceful coexistence of science and religion. ...

History of the term

The word “Theology” is derived from Hellenistic Greek, but its meaning has changed significantly through its use in the European Christian thought of the Middle ages and Enlightenment

The term theologia is used in Classical Greek literature, with the meaning "discourse on the Gods or cosmology" (see Lidell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon for references). Cosmology, from the Greek: κοσμολογία (cosmologia, κόσμος (cosmos) world + λογια (logia) discourse) is the study of the universe in its totality and by extension mans place in it. ...

Since the authority of Hellenistic city states was partly based on religious observance, those who first sought to ask difficult questions about the gods were often viewed as heretics, or in the language of the day “atheists”. Socrates is famous for having been condemed to death for teaching youths atheism (though in fact he had not). Plato, his pupil, wrote several discourses on the gods, though his doctrine of forms and emanations would be more significant for later Theology. The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ... This article is about the ancient Greek philosopher, for all other uses see: Socrates (disambiguation) Socrates (June 4, ca. ... Plato (Greek: Πλάτων Plátōn) (ca. ... Plato spoke of forms (sometimes capitalized: The Forms) in formulating his solution to the problem of universals. ...

Aristotle divided theoretical philosophy into mathematice, phusike and theologike, with the latter corresponding roughly to metaphysics, which for Aristotle included discussion of the nature of the divine. The term has since been appropriated by a number of Eastern and Western religious traditions. Aristotle, marble copy of bronze by Lysippos. ... Metaphysics (Greek words meta = after/beyond and physics = nature) is a branch of philosophy concerned with the study of first principles and being (ontology). ... The term Eastern can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Drawing on Greek sources, the Latin writer Varro influentially distinguished three forms of such discourse: mythical (concerning the myths of the Greek gods), rational (philosophical analysis of the gods and of cosmology) and civil (concerning the rites and duties of public religious observance). Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Marcus Terentius Varro ([[116 BC]–27 BC), also known as Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his contemporary Varro Atacinus, was a Roman scholar and writer, who the Romans came to call the most learned of all the Romans. ...

Christian writers, working within the Hellenistic mould, began to use the term to describe their studies. It appears once in some biblical manuscripts, in the heading to the book of Revelation: apokalupsis ioannou tou theologou, "the revelation of John the theologos". There, however, we are probably dealing with a slightly different sense of the root logos, to mean not "rational discourse" but "word" or "message": ho theologos here is probably meant to tell us that the author of Revelation has presented God's revealed messages Рwords of God, logoi tou theou Рnot that he was a "theologian" in the modern English sense of the word. As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... Visions John the Evangelist, as depicted in the Tr̬s Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ...

Other Christian writers used the term with several different ranges of meaning.

1. Some Latin authors, such as Tertullian and Augustine followed Varro's threefold usage, described above.
2. In patristic Greek sources, theologia could refer narrowly to the discussion of the nature and attributes of God.
3. In other patristic Greek sources, theologia could also refer narrowly to the discussion of the attribution of divine nature to Jesus. (It is in this sense that Gregory Nazianzus was nicknamed "the theologian": he was a staunch defender of the divinity of Christ.)
4. In medieval Greek and Latin sources, theologia (in the sense of "an account or record of the ways of God") could refer simply to the Bible.
5. In scholastic Latin sources, the term came to denote the rational study of the doctrines of the Christian religion, or (more precisely) the academic discipline which investigated the coherence and implications of the language and claims of the Bible and of the theological tradition (the latter often as represented in Peter Lombard's Sentences, a book of extracts from the Church Fathers).

It is the last of these senses which lies behind most modern uses (though the second is also found in some academic and ecclesiastical contexts), and while the term "theology" can refer to any discussion of the nature of God or the gods, or indeed the discussion of any religious topic, it is also regularly used to denote the academic study (in Universities, seminaries and elsewhere) of the doctrines of Christianity, or of any other religion, or of the relationships and contrasts between various different religions, although the latter is a field more usually termed "comparative religion." Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicized as Tertullian, (ca. ... St. ... The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity, most of the adherents of which worship him as the Messiah, son of God, and God incarnate. ... An icon of Saint Gregory Nazianzen the theologian holding a Gospel Book Saint Gregory Nazianzen (AD 329 - January 25, 389), also known as Saint Gregory the Theologian, was a 4th century Christian bishop of Constantinople. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Bible (sometimes The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, plural of βιβλιον, biblion, book, originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material... Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100 - 1500. ... Doctrine, from Latin doctrina, (compare doctor), means a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system. ... Discipline is any training intended to produce a specific character or pattern of behaviour, especially training that produces moral or mental development in a particular direction. ... Peter Lombard (c. ... Peter Lombards seminal work, on which his reputation rests. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students in religion, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ... Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes interpretive differences of common themes and ideas among the worlds religions. ...

A brief history of "Theologies"

::Main article: History of theology {Under construction!} The history of theology is about the way theology has developed and the way history has impacted theology. ...

Classical Greek theology (c.700 BC to 323 BC). Various forms of systematic and philosophical reflection on Ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology arose in the classical period - from Hesiod's attempts to organise the diverse materials of mythology into a unified Theogony to the more properly philosophical analysis reportedly carried out by Socrates. Plato's Timaeus and Aristotle's Metaphysics Book Lambda are two of the most influential writings of Classical Greek theology. Greek religion is the polytheistic religion practiced in ancient Greece in form of cult practices, thus the practical counterpart of Greek mythology. ... Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 750s BC 740s BC 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC - 700s BC - 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC Events and Trends 708 BC - Spartan immigrants found Taras (Tarentum, the modern Taranto) colony in southern Italy. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 328 BC 327 BC 326 BC 325 BC 324 BC - 323 BC - 322 BC 321 BC 320... Greek religion is the polytheistic religion practiced in ancient Greece in form of cult practices, thus the practical counterpart of Greek mythology. ... Greek mythology comprises the collected narratives of Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. ... Hesiod (Hesiodos, Ἡσιοδος) was an early Greek poet and rhapsode, believed to have lived around 700 BC. Greek historians debated the priority of Hesiod or of Homer, and even brought them together in an imagined poetic contest; most modern scholars agree that Homer lived before Hesiod. ... Theogony is a poem by Hesiod describing the origins of the gods of Greek mythology. ... This article is about the ancient Greek philosopher, for all other uses see: Socrates (disambiguation) Socrates (June 4, ca. ... Plato (Greek: Πλάτων Plátōn) (ca. ... Timaeus (c. ... Aristotle, marble copy of bronze by Lysippos. ... Metaphysics is a philosophy book written by Aristotle in 350 BC. In it he wrote about the concept of the Prime Mover. ...

Hellenistic theology (323 BC to 529 AD). Philosophical reflection on the gods, on religion, and on the origins and governance of the Universe, flourished in the Hellenistic period amongst both Greek- and Latin-speaking thinkers. Amongst the very diverse movements of Hellenistic philosophy in which theological reflection could be found were Cynicism, Stoicism, Epicureanism, Middle Platonism, and Neoplatonism. Influential texts include Cleanthes' Hymn to Zeus, Cicero's de Natura Deorum, Lucretius' de Rerum Natura, Epictetus' Enchiridion, and Plotinus' Enneads. Hellenistic theology, which could be deemed to last until the suppression of the Athenian Academy in 529 by Justinian I, overlaps with early Jewish and early Christian theology (see below), and several strands of thought important particularly to early Christian thought arise within Hellenistic circles: attempts to explain the apparent caprice of the gods, Atheism, the development of monotheism, the idea of God as first cause or form of the Good, the dualism of spirit and matter in humanity, and redemption (the release of the spirit from its material prison to a higher spiritual world) through knowledge. See also Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism and Ancient Greek religion - Theology The term Hellenistic (derived from Héllēn, the Greeks word for themselves) was established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of various ethnicities, and from the political dominance of... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 328 BC 327 BC 326 BC 325 BC 324 BC - 323 BC - 322 BC 321 BC 320... The Cynics were a influential school of ancient philosophers. ... A restored Stoa in Athens. ... Epicureanism is a system of philosophy based upon the teachings of Epicurus (c. ... Middle Platonism refers to the development of certain philosophical doctrines associated with Plato during the first and second centuries A.D. One of the outstanding thinkers of Middle Platonism was Philo Judeaus (Philo the Jew) who synthesized Platos philosophy with Jewish scripture largely through allegorical interpretation of the latter. ... // Headline text Headline text Headline text Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) was a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century A.D. Though based on the teachings of Plato and Platonists, it interpreted Plato in many new ways, so that Neoplatonism was quite different from what Plato had... Cleanthes (c. ... Marcus Tullius Cicero (standard English pronunciation ; Classical Latin pronunciation ) (January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator and statesman of Ancient Rome, and is generally considered the greatest Latin orator and prose stylist. ... Lucretius Titus Lucretius Carus (ca. ... Not to be confused with The Nature of Things, a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television show about natural science. ... Epictetus (c. ... The Enchiridion, or handbook of Epictetus, was written in 135 A.D. The text (translated by Elizabeth Carter circa 1750), which is brief, can be found at http://classics. ... Plotinus Plotinus (ca. ... The Six Enneads is a book whose title is sometimes abbreviated to The Enneads or Enneads, and was written by the Neo-Platonist Plotinus; it was edited and compiled by his last student Porphyry, in a short period c. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... An academy is an institution for the study of higher learning. ... Justinian I depicted on the famous Byzantine mosaics of the St. ... Atheism, in its broadest sense, is characterized by an absence of belief in the existence of gods, thus contrasting with theism. ... Monotheism (in Greek monon = single and Theos = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. ... Categories: Wikipedia cleanup | Stub | Philosophy of science | Religious Philosophy | Theology ... Plato describes The Form of the Good in his book, The Republic, using Socrates as his mouth piece. ... The term dualism can refer to a variety of doctrines, mainly in theology and philosophy, each involving the purported existence of two opposites of some kind. ... Redemption can mean several things: Redemption is a term in Christianity synonymous with salvation; or delivery from sins. ... Greek mythology comprises the collected narratives of Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. ... Greek religion is the polytheistic religion practiced in ancient Greece in form of cult practices, thus the practical counterpart of Greek mythology. ...

Early Jewish theology (to c.200 AD). Two strands of Jewish theology develop in this period. On the one hand, there are those oral traditions of Rabbinic exegesis (Midrash) and legal discussion (Mishnah) that eventually began to be written down towards the end of the 2nd Century AD. Important figures include Gamliel I, Yohanan ben Zakkai, Gamliel II, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Judah haNasi. On the other hand, there is the attempt to accommodate traditional Jewish exegesis of the Jewish Scriptures and tradition with Greek philosophy - a strand of thought of which Philo is the best known proponent. The destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD and the dispersion of many Jews from Israel had a profound effect on Jewish Theology. For a discussion of Jews as an ethnicity or ethnic group see the article on Jew. ... Events Jewish Eretz Yisraeli scholar Judah ha-Nasi compiles tracts of the Mishnah, beginning the creation of Talmudic law. ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished,. In the ancient Judean schools the sages were addressed as רִבִּי (Ribbi or Rebbi... Midrash (pl. ... The Mishnah (Hebrew משנה, repetition) is a major source of rabbinic Judaisms religious texts. ... Yohanan ben Zakkai was a Jewish sage of the first century of the common era, and a primary contributor to the core text of rabbinic Judaism, the Mishnah. ... Rabbi Akiva (or Rebbi Akiva) was a famous Jewish rabbi of the 2nd century. ... Judah haNasi, or more accurately in Hebrew, Yehudah HaNasi, was a key leader of the Jewish community of Judea under the Roman empire, toward the end of the 2nd century CE. He was reputedly from the Davidic line of the royal line from King David, hence his title Prince (Nasi... Classical (or early) Greek philosophy focused on the role of reason and inquiry. ... Philo (20 BCE - 40 CE) was a Hellenized Jewish philosopher born in Alexandria, Egypt. ... For other uses, see number 70. ... Dispersion can mean any of several things: A phenomenon that causes the separation of a wave into components of varying frequency. ...

Early Christian theology, coming partly from Hellenistic Judaism, therefore had no trouble in expressing itself in the Greek language (i.e. the New Testament). Whilst the conception of a canon of sacred books was inherited from Judaism, their interpretation soon came to be heavily influenced by Greek allegorical methods (e.g. Origen). Greek (Greek Ελληνικά, IPA – Hellenic) is an Indo-European language with a documented history of 3,500 years. ... The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures, is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... Look up canon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Interpretation, or interpreting, is an activity that consists of establishing, either simultaneously or consecutively, oral or gestural communications between two or more speakers who are not speaking (or signing) the same language. ... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the literal. ... Origen ( 182– 251) was a Christian scholar and theologian and one of the most distinguished of the Fathers of the early Christian Church. ...

Augustine wrote "The City of God" during the long decline of the Roman Empire

Patristic Theology (c. 100 – 500 AD) is so called because certain men (Fathers or “Patroi”) concerned themselves with determining the degree to which the Christian faith could be accommodated to Hellenistic thought. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote to combat those who made Christianity into Gnostic Theology. Justin Martyr sought to use Hellenistic philosophy and Natural Theology to justify Christianity to the Romans. Later Theologians especially sought to show how three divine persons could be one in substance (the Trinity, see Council of Nicea) and how Jesus (a man of material flesh, see Council of Chalcedon) could at also be divine. These statements though held to be philosophically illogical were nevertheless held to be true, human reason being incapable of understanding them. This was an important development that would define the Theology of the Middle Ages in Islam as well as Christianity. Important theologians were Athanasius, Gregory of Nazanzius, Gregory of Nyssa, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine and Jerome. Public domain image from [1]. Original source: Hundred Greatest Men, The. ... Public domain image from [1]. Original source: Hundred Greatest Men, The. ... Augustine may refer to: Saints: Augustine of Hippo, (354-430) theologian, author of The City of God, Confessions Augustine of Canterbury, (d. ... This article is about the work by Augustine. ... Patristics is the study of early Christian writers, known as the Church Fathers. ... St. ... Saint Justin Martyr (Justin the Martyr) (c. ... Natural theology (or natural religion) is theology based on reason and ordinary experience. ... Roman or Romans has several meanings, primarily related to the Roman citizens, but also applicable to typography, math, and a commune. ... The Christian doctrine of the Trinity states that God is a single being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a communion of three Persons: the Father, the Son (the eternal Logos, incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth), and the Holy Spirit. ... Council of Nicaea can refer to: First Council of Nicaea in AD 325 Second Council of Nicaea in AD 787 This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity, most of the adherents of which worship him as the Messiah, son of God, and God incarnate. ... The Council of Chalcedon was an ecumenical council that took place from October 8—November 1, 451 at Chalcedon, a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Islām is described as a dÄ«n, meaning way of life and/or guidance. ... History Main article: History of Christianity See also: Timeline of Christianity The history of Christianity is difficult to extricate from that of the European West (and several other culture-regions) in general. ... Athanasius of Alexandria (also spelled Athanasios) was a Christian bishop of Alexandria in the fourth century. ... Gregory of Nyssa ( 335 – after 394) was a Christian bishop and saint. ... Origen ( 182– 251) was a Christian scholar and theologian and one of the most distinguished of the Fathers of the early Christian Church. ... Saint Ambrose, mosaic in church St. ... Augustine may refer to: Saints: Augustine of Hippo, (354-430) theologian, author of The City of God, Confessions Augustine of Canterbury, (d. ... , by Albrecht Dürer Jerome (ca. ...

The fall of the Roman empire affected Theology in two main ways; Firstly monasticism became more popular and ascetic, and mystical theology therefore became more prevalent. Secondly, the increasing influence of the Bishop of Rome (The Pope) in theological doctrine and cultural differences between the two remnants of the Roman empire caused the doctrine of apostolic succession to be more important. The two sides finally split in 1054. The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine Empire. ... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ... The word ascetic derives from the ancient Greek term askesis (practice, training or exercise). ... Pope John Paul II has reigned since 22 Oct 1978. ... In Christianity, the doctrine of apostolic succession (or the belief that the Church is apostolic) maintains that the Christian Church today is the spiritual successor of the Church of the Apostles. ... Events Cardinal Humbertus, a representative of Pope Leo IX, and Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, decree each others excommunication. ...

The collapse of the Roman Empire meant that most Theology occurred in Monasteries with few of the resources of classical scholarship available. Over time many local variations in Theology developed and the traditions of pre-Christian religions were sometimes included in Theology as well as practice.

Likewise, in the East, (Greece and the Levant) Theology became increasingly influenced by speculative neo-Platonism. The epistle of Dionysius the Areopagite was a popular guide with such ideas. Many monks came to emphasize the idea of the inherent evil of the world. Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is an ancient school of philosophy beginning in the 3rd century A.D. It was based on the teachings of Plato and Platonists; but it interpreted Plato in many new ways, such that Neoplatonism was quite different from what Plato taught, though not many Neoplatonists would... Dionysius the Areopagite was the judge of the Areopagus who, as related in Acts, xvii, 34, was converted to Christianity by the preaching of Saint Paul. ...

Islam established itself in this atmosphere and began also to practice Theology. Although Islam is often considered to lack a “Theology” as in Christianity there were many attempts to frame Islamic ideas within Greek thought, especially during the early abbassids and the reign of the caliph al-mamun. However, this movement, Mu’tazilism, became discredited through the Abassids attempts to use it to enforce religious unity, and the popular and orthodox considered Hellenistic thought to be unhelpful and error. Theology would continue to be practiced, but was usually done so by an elite of intellectuals whose ideas would seldom be made public. These included Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Averroes, Avicenna and Al-Ghazali. Islām is described as a dÄ«n, meaning way of life and/or guidance. ... Abū-Yūsuf Ya’qūb ibn Ishāq al-Kindī (c. ... Al Farabi (870-950) was born of a Turkish family and educated by a Christian physician in Baghdad, and was himself later considered a teacher on par with Aristotle. ... Averroes Averroes (Ibn Rushd) (1126 – December 10, 1198) was an Andalusian-Arab philosopher and physician, a master of philosophy and Islamic law, mathematics, and medicine. ... Avicenna was the greatest of the medieval Islamic physicians, whose work had a direct impact on the Renaissance. ... Haruniyeh tomb, named after Harun al-Rashid. ...

High Medieval theology in Western Europe combined the Theology inherited from Dark-age monasticism with new learning from classical Hellenistic documents from the Islamic world. Thomas Aquinas, Anselm, Jons Scotus and Peter Ablard were among the most important Theologians of this period. Western Europe is distinguished from Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Anselm may refer to any of several historical figures: Saint Anselm, 8th-century Abbot of Nonantula Saint Anselm of Canterbury (ca 1033 - 1109), Archbishop of Canterbury Anselm of Laon (died 1117), Medieval theologian Anselm of Liège (1008-1056), chronicler Saint Anselm of Lucca (ca 1036 - 1086) This is a disambiguation...

Anselm was an important Theologian for both the Medieval and Reformation periods because of his theory of Atonement

The Renaissance yielded scholars the ability to read the scriptures in their original languages and this in part stimulated the Reformation, a Theological movement that based its “Protests” on a new understanding of the Bible. Most important were Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, Melancthon, Martin Bucer and the Anabaptists. Their Theology was developed by successors such as Theodore Beza, the English Puritans and Francis Turretin. Anselm may refer to any of several historical figures: Saint Anselm, 8th-century Abbot of Nonantula Saint Anselm of Canterbury (ca 1033 - 1109), Archbishop of Canterbury Anselm of Laon (died 1117), Medieval theologian Anselm of Liège (1008-1056), chronicler Saint Anselm of Lucca (ca 1036 - 1086) This is a disambiguation... The Atonement is the central doctrine of Christianity: everything else derives from it. ... By region Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... Luther at age 46 (Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1529) The Luther seal Martin Luther (November 10, 1483–February 18, 1546) was a German theologian, an Augustinian monk, and an ecclesiastical reformer whose teachings inspired the Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines and culture of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions. ... John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was a prominent French Christian theologian during the Protestant Reformation and is the namesake of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism. ... Zwinglis Successor Zwinglis successor, Heinrich Bullinger, was elected on December 9, 1531, to be the pastor of the Great Minster at Zürich, a position which he held to the end of his life (1575). ... Philipp Melanchthon (February 16, 1497 - April 19, 1560) was a German theologian and writer of the Protestant Reformation and an associate of Martin Luther. ... Martin Bucer (or Butzer) (1491 - 1551) was a German Protestant reformer. ... Anabaptists (re-baptizers, from Greek ana and baptizo; in German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the so-called radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. ... Theodore Beza (Theodore de Beze or de Besze) (June 24, 1519 - October 13, 1605) was a French Protestant Christian theologian and scholar who played an important role in the early Reformation. ... The Puritans were members of a group of radical Protestants which developed in England after the Reformation. ... Francis Turretin (also known as François Turretini) was the son of Francesco Turrettini, who left his native Lucca in 1574 and settled in Geneva in 1592. ...

The Catholic counter-reformation spearheaded by the Jesuits under Ignatius Loyola took their Theology from the decisions of the Council of Trent. The overall result of the Reformation was therefore to highlight distinctions of belief that had previously co-existed uneasily. The Counter-Reformation or the Catholic Reformation was a strong reaffirmation of the doctrine and structure of the Catholic Church, climaxing at the Council of Trent, partly in reaction to the growth of Protestantism. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... Ignatius of Loyola Saint Ignatius of Loyola (December 24, 1491? – July 31, 1556), baptized Íñigo López de Loyola, was the founder of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order commonly known as the Jesuits that was established to strengthen the Church, initially against Protestantism. ... The Council of Trent (Italian: Trento) was an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held in discontinuous sessions between 1545 and 1563 in response to the Protestant Reformation. ...

The fall of Constantinople in the east, 1453, led to a significant shift of gravity to the rising state of Russia, the “Third Rome”. The Renaissance would also stimulate a program of reforms by patriarchs of prayer books. A movement called the “Old believers” consequently resulted and influenced Russian Orthodox Theology in the direction of conservatism and Erastianism. Events May 29 - Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). ... Detail of the painting Boyarynya Morozova by Vasily Surikov depicting a defiant Old Believer arrested by Czarist authorities in 1671. ... Conservatism is a major political philosophy supporting traditional values or an established social order. ... Thomas Erastus (September 7, 1524 - December 31, 1583), German-Swiss theologian, whose surname was Liber, Lieber, or Liebler, was born of poor parents, probably at Baden, canton of Aargau, Switzerland. ...

After the Reformation protestant groups continued to splinter, leading to a range of new Theologies. The “Enthusiasts” were so named because of their emotional zeal. These included the Methodists, the Quakers and Baptists. Another group sought to reconcile Christian faith with "Modern" ideas, sometimes causing them to reject beliefs they considered to be illogical, including the Nicene creed and Chalcedonian creed. these included Unitarians and Universalists. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ... Baptist churches are part of a Christian movement often regarded as an Evangelical, Protestant denomination. ... The Nicene Creed, or the Icon/Symbol of the Faith, is a Christian statement of faith accepted by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and most Protestant churches. ... Historic Unitarianism believed in the oneness of God as opposed to traditional Christian belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). ... Universalism may refer to: In comparative religion, universalism is the belief that all religions are equal roads to heaven, although the adherent may chose only one or a few religions for his/her/its primary focus. ...

The Nineteenth Century saw the rise of biblical criticism, new knowledge of religious diversity in other continents and above all the growth of science. This led many church men to espouse a form of Deism. This, along with concepts such as the brotherhood of man and a rejection of miracles led to what is called “Classic Liberalism”. Immensely influential in its day, classic liberalism suffered badly as a result of the two world wars and fell prey to the criticisms of postmodernism. Biblical criticism seeks to analyze the Bible through asking certain questions of the text, such as: Who wrote it? When was it written? To whom was it written? Why was it written? What was the historical, geographical, and cultural setting of the text? How well preserved is the original text... Historical and modern Deism is defined by the view that reason, rather than revelation or tradition, should be the basis of belief in God. ... For the U.S. hockey teams victory in the 1980 Winter Olympics, see Miracle on Ice, or Miracle (movie) According to many religions, a miracle is an intervention by God in the universe. ... There have been two World Wars, now more commonly known as World War I or First World War (from 1914 to 1918), and World War II or Second World War (from 1939 to 1945). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Gordon Fee is a well known Renewal Theologian

Postmodern theology seeks to respond to the challenges of post modern and deconstructionist thought, and has included the death of God movement, Process Theology, Feminist theology and Queer Theology and most importantly Neo-orthodox Theology. Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann and Reinhold Niebuhr were Neo-Orthodoxies main representatives. In particular Barth labeled his Theology "Dialectical Theology", a reference to existentialism. Gordon Fee is a New Testament scholar who, after teaching briefly at Wheaton College in Illinois, has for many years taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts until 1986. ... Renewal is the collective term for Charismatic, pentecostal and neo-charismatic churches. ... Process theology (also known as Neoclassical theology) is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead (1861 - 1947). ... Feminist theology is a movement, generally in the Western religious traditions (mostly Christianity and Judaism), to reconsider the traditions, practices, scriptures, and theologies of those religions from a feminist perspective. ... Queer Theology is exploration of the nature of God and human-kinds relationship with God through the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (although the term Queer was not originally synonomous with these lifestyles). ... Karl Barth on the cover of TIME magazine Karl Barth (May 10, 1886 - December 10, 1968) was the most influential Reformed Christian theologian since John Calvin. ... This article or section should be merged with Rudolf Karl Bultmann Rudolf Karl Bultmann (August 20, 1884 - July 30, 1976) was a German theologian of Lutheran background, who was for three decades professor of New Testament studies at the University of Marburg. ... Reinhold Niebuhr (June 21, 1892 – June 1, 1971) was a Protestant theologian best known for his study of the task of relating the Christian faith to the reality of modern politics and diplomacy. ... ...

The predominance of Classic Liberalism resulted in many reactionary movements amongst conservative believers. Evangelical theology, Pentecostal or Renewal theology and Fundamentalist theology, often combined with Dispensationalism, all moved from the fringe into the academy. Marxism stimluated the significant rise of Liberation Theology which can be interpreted as a challenge to Academic Theology that fails to challenge the establishment and help the poor. Dispensationalism is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible. ... Marxism is the social theory and political practice based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century German philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Liberation theology is an important and controversial school in the theology of the Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

From the late ninteenth century to the early twentieth many groups established themselves that derived many of their beliefs from protestant evangelical groups but significantly differed in doctrine. These include the Jehovahs witnesses, the Latter day saints and many so called "cults". Many of these groups use the protestant version of the bible and typically interpret it in a fundamentalist fashion, adding, however, special prophecy or scriptures, and typically denying the trinity and the full deity of Jesus Christ. For meanings of the word cult see Cult (disambiguation) Cults is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland. ...

Ecumenical Theology sought to discover a common consensus on theolgical matters that could bring the many Christian denominations together. As a movement it was successful in helping to provide a basis for the establishment of the World council of churches and for some reconciliation between more established denominations. But ecumenical theology was nearly always the concern of liberal theologians, often protestant ones. The movement for ecumenism was opposed especially by fundamentalists and viewed as flawed by many neo-orthodox theologians. List of Christian denominations ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships. ...

The pattern of challenge from a changing world, liberal response from official representatives and orthodox backlash from conservatives is found also in the history of Islam and Judaism. Reform Judaism represents a liberal interpretation as against Orthodox Judaism, and moderate or Liberal Islam continues to be theologically distinct from Islamic Fundamentalism, notably its Wahabi and Deobandi Schools. As other religions came to be studied in Western post Christian academies the term Theology was applied to them, though, as noted below, this may be a serious misnomer! Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of Judaism in America and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th Century Germany. ... Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and all the Rabbinical... In modern times there have been a number of liberal movements within Islam (sometimes called in Arabic: الإسلام الإجتهادية or interpretation-based Islam, also الإسلام المتقدمة or Progressive Islam). These generally denote religious outlooks which depend mainly on ijtihad or re-interpretations of scriptures. ... Islamic fundamentalism is primarily used in the Western world to describe Islamist groups. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... The Deobandi are Muslims of South Asia and Afghanistan who follow the fiqh (tradition of jurisprudence) of Imam Abu Hanifa. ...

Theology and religions other than Christianity

In academic theological circles, there is some debate as to whether theology is an activity peculiar to the Christian religion. If so we should distinguish Christian Theology from others. It is seen by some to be a term only appropriate to the study of a deity (a theos) within a presupposed belief in the ability to speak and reason about the subject (in logia)- and so to be less appropriate in religious contexts which are organized differently (i.e. religions without a deity, or which deny that such subjects can be studied logically). Christian theology practices theology from a Christian viewpoint or studies Christianity theologically. ... A deity or a god, is a postulated preternatural being, usually, but not always, of significant power, worshipped, thought holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, or respected by human beings. ... Reason is a term used in philosophy to refer to the higher cognitive faculties of the human mind. ...

Averroes, like many important Muslims who wrote about God, is not usually asociated with "Theology"

For example, some academic courses on Buddhism which are dedicated to the rational investigation of a Buddhist understanding of the world prefer the designation Buddhist philosophy to the term Buddhist theology, since Buddhism lacks the same conception of a theos. The same might be said of Hinduism which has many gods, rather than one.; see for example, Vaishnava Theology. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Averroes Averroes (Ibn Rushd) (1126 – December 10, 1198) was an Andalusian-Arab philosopher and physician, a master of philosophy and Islamic law, mathematics, and medicine. ... A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found from Sarnath, near Varanasi Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BC. Buddhism gradually spread from India... Buddhist philosophy is the branch of Eastern philosophy based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha (c. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Moreover, the application of the term Theology to religions similar to Christianity can be misleading. in Islam, theological discussion which parallels Christian theological discussion has been a minor and even slightly disreputable activity, named “Kalam”; the Islamic analogue of Christian theological discussion would more properly be the investigation and elaboration of Islamic law, or "Fiqh". Islām is described as a dÄ«n, meaning way of life and/or guidance. ... Kalam (علم الكلم) in Arabic means speech or discourse, and refers to the Islamic tradition of seeking theological principles through dialectic. ... Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ... - Islamic jurisprudence, Fiqh (in Arabic and Persian: فقه) is made up of the rulings of Islamic jurists to direct the lives of the Muslim faithful. ...

In Judaism the historical absence of political authority has meant that most theological reflection has happened within the context of the Jewish community and synagogue, rather than within specialised academic institutions. Nevertheless Jewish Theology has been historically very active and highly significant for Christian and Islamic Theology. Once again, the Jewish analogue of Christian theological discussion would more properly be Rabbinical discussion of Jewish law and Jewish Biblical commentaries. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... A synagogue or synagog (from Greek συναγωγη, transliterated sunagoge, place of assembly literally meeting, assembly) is a Jewish house of prayer and study. ... A Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) is a religious Jewish scholar who is an expert in Jewish law. ... Halakha (הלכה in Hebrew or Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish law, custom and tradition regulating all aspects of behavior. ...

Theology and the Academy

Theology has a significantly problematic relationship to Academia that is not shared by any other subject. Most Universties founded before the modern era grew out of the church schools and monastic institutions of Western Europe during the High Middle ages (e.g. Bologna Universtiy, Paris University and Oxford University). They were founded to train young men to serve the church in Theology and Law (often Church or Canon Law). At such Universities Theological study was incomlete with Theological practice, including preaching, prayer and the Mass. Ancient Universities still maintain some of these links (e.g. having Chapels and Chaplains) and are more likely to teach Theology than other institutions. Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ... Western Europe is distinguished from Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... The Sorbonne, Paris, in a 17th century engraving The Sorbonne today, from the same point of view The historic University of Paris (French: Université de Paris) first appeared in the second half of the 12th century, but was in 1970 reorganized as 13 autonomous universities (University of Paris I–XIII). ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Aphorism Critical legal studies Jurisprudence Law (principle) Legal research Letter versus Spirit List of legal abbreviations Legal code Natural justice Natural law Philosophy of law Religious law External links Find more information on Law by searching one of Wikipedias sibling projects: Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School... In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... Preaching is the most important element in the protestant churches. ... Prayer is an effort to communicate with God, or to some deity or deities, or another form of spiritual entity, or otherwise, either to offer praise, to make a request, or simply to express ones thoughts and emotions. ... Mass is a property of physical objects that, roughly speaking, measures the amount of matter they contain. ... A chapel is a church other than a parish church, often attached to a larger institution such as a college, a hospital, a palace, or a prison. ... A chaplain is a priest or military unit, a private chapel, a ship, a prison, a hospital, a parliament and so on. ...

During the High Middle ages Theology was therefore the main subject at Universities, being named “The Queen of the Sciences” alongside the Trivium and Quadrivium that young men were expected to study. This meant that the other subjects (including Philosophy) existed primarily to help with Theological thought. In medieval universities, the trivium comprised the three subjects taught first, before the quadrivium. ... The quadrivium comprised the four subjects taught in medieval universities after the trivium. ... These five broad types of question are called analytical or logical, epistemological, ethical, metaphysical, and aesthetic respectively. ...

With the Enlightenment Universities began to change, teaching a wide range of subjects, especially in Germany, and from a Humanistic perspective. Theology was no longer the principle subject and Universities existed for many purposes, not only to train Clergy for established Churches. Theology thus became unusual as the only subject to maintain a confessional basis in othewise secular establishments. ... Humanism is a system of thought that defines a socio-political doctrine (-ism) whose bounds exceed those of locally developed cultures, to include all of humanity and all issues common to human beings. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ...

As a result Theology is often distinguished from many other established Academic disciplines that cover the same subject area. Those who contend it is different claim it is distinguished by its viewpoint (it is studied from within a faith, rather than from without) and its practical involvement (Theology cannot be truly studied or understood without a practical faith). Many of the early church fathers described the theologian as a person who "truly prays.". Non religious Theologians often disagree with these viewpoints, arguing that the term Theology covers the study of religion or peoples beliefs about God, rather than God himself. They also argue that human reason alone is sufficient to understand such subjects and that prayer and worship are not necessary. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ...

Nevertheless Theology should be distinguished from the following disciplines;

Comparative religion/Religious studies Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes interpretive differences of common themes and ideas among the worlds religions. ... Religious studies is the multi-disciplinary, secular study of religion. ...

Philosophy of Religion Philosophy of religion is the rational study of the meaning and justification of fundamental religious claims, particularly about the nature and existence of God (or gods, or the divine). ...

The History of Religions The History of religions refers to the Religiongeschichteschule, a Nineteenth century German school of thought which was the first to systematically study religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon. ...

Psychology of Religion Psychology of religion is psychologys theory of religious experiences and beliefs. ...

Sociology of Religion The sociology of religion is – among other elements – the study of the practices, social structures, historical backgrounds, development, universal themes, and roles of religion in society. ...

All of these approach religion with Humanistic presuppositions and assume a uniformity in religious faith and experience, unlike most Theology.

Theological studies in different institutions

In Europe, the traditional places for the study of theology have been universities and seminaries. Typically the protestant state churches have trained their ministers in universities while the Catholic church has used seminaries. However, the secularization of European states has closed down the theological faculties in many countries while the Catholic church has increased the academical level of its priests by founding a number of pontifical universities. However, at least Finland and Sweden have state universities with faculties of theology training Lutheran priests as well as teachers and scholars of religion. As study of theology in these countries includes a strong (Christian) humanist content, graduates of theology who do not wish to embark on clerical career may find work also in marketing, business or adminstration, although this is frowned upon by many. Europe forms the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students in religion, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ... Look up Faculty on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Faculty has several different meanings and can refer to: University faculty are the instructors and/or researchers of high standing at universities, as opposed to the students or support staff. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Humanism is a system of thought that defines a socio-political doctrine (-ism) whose bounds exceed those of locally developed cultures, to include all of humanity and all issues common to human beings. ...

In the United States, study of theology does not enjoy state endorsement due to the nature of the constitution of United States. Theological studies (often called Biblical studies) take place in a large number of universities, the academic level of which may vary considerably. The academic freedom of thought in many of these institutions may not reach the level of the faculties of theology in European state universities. Theologians ending up with view deemed "heretical" by the denomination upholding the institution may find themselves out of work. Biblical studies is the academic study of the Christian and Jewish Scriptures. ... Academic freedom is a widely used and championed phrase, but an often poorly defined concept with different meanings in different cultures and different contexts. ...

Divisions of theology

Theology can be divided up in any number of ways. Many of these divisions have originated in the study of the Christian religion, although some have been adapted and extended to apply to other religions, or to the study of multiple religions.

The most established distinctions are Systematic Theology, Biblical Studies/Biblical Theology, Historical Theology and Pastoral Theology. Systematic theology is the study of Christian theology organized thematically (as opposed to historically, as in Historical Theology or Biblical Theology - according to some uses of the latter term). ... Biblical studies is the academic study of the Christian and Jewish Scriptures. ... Biblical Theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing himself to Man following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament. ... Historical theology is a branch of theological studies that investigates the socio-historical and cultural mechanisms that give rise to theological ideas, systems, and statements. ...

Theology can also be divided up into :

Academic subdisciplines;

• Biblical Theology - focused on the investigation and interpretation of a religions' scriptures, especially noting different emphases (theologies) within different biblical books.
• Biblical Studies - focused on the intrepretation and exegesis of the Bible.
• Comparative religion - focused on the comparison of common themes among different religious traditions
• Historical Theology - focused on the intellectual history of the religion
• Moral Theology - explores the moral and ethical dimensions of the religious life
• Patrology - studies the teaching of Church Fathers.
• Practical Theology - dedicated to the practical application of theological insights. Generally includes the subdisciplines of pastoral theology, homiletics, and Christian education, among others.
• Systematic theology (doctrinal theology, dogmatic theology or philosophical theology) - focused on the attempt to arrange and interpret the ideas current in the religion.

Topic (or by 'Loci'); Biblical Theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing himself to Man following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament. ... Biblical studies is the academic study of the Christian and Jewish Scriptures. ... Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes interpretive differences of common themes and ideas among the worlds religions. ... Historical theology is a branch of theological studies that investigates the socio-historical and cultural mechanisms that give rise to theological ideas, systems, and statements. ... Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with right and wrong in human behaviour. ... Morality, in the strictest sense of the word, deals with that which is innately regarded as right or wrong. ... Ethics is the branch of axiology – one of the four major branches of philosophy, alongside metaphysics, epistemology, and logic – which attempts to understand the nature of morality; to define that which is right from that which is wrong. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Homiletics (Gr. ... Systematic theology is the study of Christian theology organized thematically (as opposed to historically, as in Historical Theology or Biblical Theology - according to some uses of the latter term). ...

• Angelology (less common than it used to be) - angels, the unseen world
• Bibliology (a less common term than most of the others) - the Bible, the nature and means of its inspiration, etc.; hermeneutics is the study of proper biblical interpretation (exegesis).
• Christology (normally only in Christianity) - Jesus Christ, the nature of Christ, the relationship between the divine and human in Christ
• Covenant theology, an interpretive grid that understands God's plans in the Old and New Testaments as being a result of God's covenant with his chosen people. This movement is an alternative to Dispensationalism.
• Demonology (much less common than it used to be) - Satan, demons, evil spirits
• Dispensational Theology - an interpretative grid that views God's relationship with the created order as passing through successive "dispensations", in each of which the covenants of the previous one(s) may no longer be valid.
• Ecclesiology - the church
• Eschatology - literally, the study of 'last things' or 'ultimate things'. Covers subjects such as death and the afterlife, the end of history, the end of the world, the last judgment, the nature of hope and progress, etc.
• Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology - the Vaishnava Theology which emphasizes the devotee's relationship to the "Divine Couple," Radha and Krishna, and looks to Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an avatar embodying both Radha and Krishna.
• Harmatiology (often considered under 'soteriology') - sin
• Krishnology - the discourse concerning the Hindu deity Krishna within the context of Vaishnava Theology.
• Missiology (often a subsection of ecclesiology) - missions, evangelism, etc.
• Radhavallabha Theology is the Vaishnava Theology of Harivamsa Gosvami, who started the Radhavallabha sect. His theology emphasizes devotion to Radharani. This sect also has a famous temple in Vrindavan of the same name.
• Soteriology - the nature and means of salvation
• Theodicy - Attempts at reconciling the existence of all the evil and suffering in the world with the nature and power of the God or gods of the religion
• Theological anthropology - nature of human being, formerly known as the Doctrine of Man.
• Theology Proper - God or the divine: attributes, nature, and relation to the world. Often includes discussion of Creation and providence. See the nature of God in Western theology.
• Pneumatology - the Holy Spirit or divine Spirit; sometimes also 'geist' as in Hegelianism and other philosophico-theological systems;
• Vaishnava Theology is the theological discourse concerning the Hindu deity Vishnu and/or one of His avatar.

Modes; For other uses, see Angel (disambiguation). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Rembrandts The Evangelist Matthew Inspired by an Angel. ... The Bible (sometimes The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, plural of βιβλιον, biblion, book, originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material... Hermeneutics may be described as the theory of interpretation and understanding of a text through empirical means. ... This article discusses textual hermeneutics. ... Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies and defines who Jesus the Christ was and is. ... Christ is the English representation of the Greek word Χριστός (transliterated as Khristós), which means anointed. ... Covenant Theology (also known as Covenantalism or Federal theology) is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible. ... Dispensationalism is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible. ... This article contains information that has not been verified. ... Gustave Dores depiction of Satan from John Miltons Paradise Lost Satan (שָׂטָן Standard Hebrew Satan, Latin Sátanas, Tiberian Hebrew Śāṭān; Aramaic שִׂטְנָא Śaṭanâ: both words mean Adversary; accuser) is an angel, demon, or minor god in many religions. ... In folklore, mythology, and religion, a demon or demoness is a supernatural being that has generally been described as a malevolent spirit but outside Christian circles was viewed as a sort of elemental spirit: compare Daemon and djinn. ... Dispensationalism is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible. ... Ecclesiology, a term taken from the Greek word ecclesia, is a branch of Christian theology that deals with the doctrine pertaining to the Church: its role in salvation, and its origin, its discipline, and its leadership. ... A church building (or simply church) is a building used in Christian worship. ... Albrecht Dürer - Four horsemen of the Apocalypse Look up eschatology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The afterlife (or life after death) is a generic term referring to a continuation of existence, typically spiritual and experiential, beyond this world, or after death. ... HIStory: Past, Present And Future - Book 1 was a double-disc album by Michael Jackson released in 1995. ... The World in plate carrée projection The World In English, world is rooted in a compound of the obsolete words were, man, and eld, age; thus, its oldest meaning is age or life of man. Its primary modern meaning is the planet Earth, especially when capitalized: the World. ... In Christian eschatology, the Last Judgment or Judgement Day is the ethical-judicial trial, judgment, and punishment/reward of individual humans (assignment to heaven or to hell) by a divine tribunal at the end of time, following the destruction of humans present earthly existence. ... Hope is a belief that desirable things are obtainable regardless of the remoteness of the probabilities. ... Progress can refer to: The idea of a process in which societies or individuals become better or more modern (technologically and/or socially). ... Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology, is a type of Vaishnava Theology that began with Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534), a Bengali Vaishnava sadhu. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Radha refers to either one of two figures in Hindu religion. ... Lord Krishna revealing his Universal form to Arjuna Krishna (कृष्ण, pronounced as kŖιŞhŅə, Sanskrit for black), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Deities of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (right) and Sri Nityananda (left) at Radha-Krishna temple in Radhadesh, Belgium Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Chaitanya) (1486 - 1534), was an ascetic Hindu monk and social reformer in 16th century Bengal, India (present-day West Bengal and Bangladesh). ... The 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu In Hinduism, an avatar or avatara (Sanskrit अवतार), is the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of an Immortal Being, or of the Ultimate Supreme Being. ... // Sin has been a term most usually used in a religious context, and today describes any lack of conformity to the will of God; especially, any willful disregard for the norms revealed by God is a sin. ... Krishnology (also spelled Krishnaology) is an academic neo-logism for Krishna Theology. ... A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal. ... A deity or a god, is a postulated preternatural being, usually, but not always, of significant power, worshipped, thought holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, or respected by human beings. ... Lord Krishna revealing his Universal form to Arjuna Krishna (कृष्ण, pronounced as kŖιŞhŅə, Sanskrit for black), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Missiology, or mission science, is the area of practical theology which studies the mandate, message and work of the Christian missionary. ... Radhavallabha Theology is the Vaishnava Theology of Harivamsa Gosvami, who started the Radhavallabha sect. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Harivamsa Gosvami, a disciple of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, espoused a Vaishnava Theology which created the Radhavallabha Vaishnava sect of Hinduism. ... Radhavallabaha is a Vaishnava sect founded by Harivamsa Gosvami. ... Radha refers to either one of two figures in Hindu religion. ... Vrindavan, in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh is a town on the site of the original forest of Vrindavana. ... In Christianity, salvation is arguably the most important spiritual concept, second only to the divinity of Jesus. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... ... Theology Proper is the term used to distinguish the study of God the Father in a Trinitarian system. ... God is the monotheistic concept of a supernatural Supreme Being who is the creator of the Universe. ... Creation is a doctrinal position in many religions which maintains that one or a group of gods or deities is responsible for creating the universe. ... Providence may mean: Divine Providence Providence College in Rhode Island, USA Providence, television series Providence, a 1977 film Providence, a 1991 film starring Keanu Reeves Providence, 1970s-era Providence may also refer to: Providence, Rhode Island (in Providence County) Providence, Alabama Providence, Kentucky Providence, New York It is also the... The nature of God in monotheistic religions is a broad topic in Western philosophy of religion and theology, with a very old and distinguished history; it was one of the central topics in medieval philosophy. ... Pneumatology refers to the study of spiritual beings and phenomena, especially the interactions between humans and God. ... In various religions, most notably Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost in Trinitarian Christianity; in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh) is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... The 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu In Hinduism, an avatar or avatara (Sanskrit अवतार), is the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of an Immortal Being, or of the Ultimate Supreme Being. ...

• Apophatic theology (or negative theology; sometimes contrasted with "cataphatic theology") - the discussion of what God is not, or the investigation of how language about God breaks down
• dialectical theology
• Natural theology - the discussion of those aspects of theology that can be investigated without the help of revelation, scriptures or tradition (sometimes contrasted with "positive theology") - the discussion of those aspects of theology

Movements; Negative theology, also known as the Via Negativa (Lat. ... Neo-orthodoxy is an approach to theology that was developed in the aftermath of the First World War (1914-1918). ... Natural theology (or natural religion) is theology based on reason and ordinary experience. ...

• Black theology
• Ecumenical theology
• Evangelical theology
• Feminist theology
• Holocaust theology(In response to the horrors of the Holocaustespecially in relation to Theodicy,
• Liberal theology
• Liberation theology
• Neo-Orthodoxy
• Paleo-Orthodoxy
• Postliberal theology or Narrative theology
• Postmodern theology
• Queer Theology
• Revisionist theology
• Transcendental Theology

Black theology is a Christian theology of liberation. ... Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a tendency in diverse branches of Protestantism, typified by an emphasis on evangelism, a personal experience of conversion, biblically-oriented faith, and a belief in the relevance of Christian faith to cultural issues. ... Feminist theology is a movement, generally in the Western religious traditions (mostly Christianity and Judaism), to reconsider the traditions, practices, scriptures, and theologies of those religions from a feminist perspective. ... Holocaust theology refers to a body of theological and philosophical debate, soul-searching, and analysis, with the subsequent related literature, that attempts to come to grips with various conflicting views about the role of God in this human world and the dark events of the European Holocaust that occurred during... Children survivors of the Holocaust before their liberation The Holocaust is the name applied to the systematic state-sponsored persecution and genocide of various ethnic, religious and political groups during World War II by Nazi Germany and collaborators. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... // Introduction Liberal Christianity, Progressive Christianity or Liberalism is a movement within Christianity that is often characterized by the following features: internal diversity of opinion an embracing of higher criticism of the Bible with a corresponding willingness to question supernatural elements of biblical stories (e. ... Liberation theology is an important and controversial school in the theology of the Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. ... Neo-orthodoxy is an approach to theology that was developed in the aftermath of the First World War (1914-1918). ... Thomas Oden Paleo-Orthodoxy is a Christian theological movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. ... Narrative theology was a late 20th century theological development which supported the idea that the Churchs use of the Bible should focus on a narrative presentation of the faith, rather than on the development of a systematic theology. ... Narrative theology was a late 20th century theological development which supported the idea that the Churchs use of the Bible should focus on a narrative presentation of the faith, rather than on the development of a systematic theology. ... Queer Theology is exploration of the nature of God and human-kinds relationship with God through the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (although the term Queer was not originally synonomous with these lifestyles). ... Transcendentalism was the name of a group of new ideas in literature, religion, culture and philosophy which emerged in New England in the early- to mid-nineteenth century. ...

Quotes

• "Theology is the effort to explain the unknowable in terms of the not worth knowing." - H.L. Mencken
• "An authentic theology will not allow man to be obsessed with himself." - Thomas F. Torrance in Reality and Scientific Theology
• "Theology announces not just what the Bible says but what it means." - J. Kenneth Grider in A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology (Kansas City: Beacon Hill, 1994), p. 19.

H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken (September 12, 1880 - January 29, 1956) was a twentieth century journalist and social critic, a cynic and a freethinker, known as the Sage of Baltimore and the American Nietzsche. He is often regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th... Thomas Forsyth Torrance (1913- ) is a 20th century Christian theologian born to Scottish missionary parents in Chengtu, Szechuan, China. ... J. Kenneth Grider is a 20th century Christian theologian primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement. ...

See also

• Apostasy
• Ascetical theology
• Ayyavazhi theology
• Christian theology
• Christian apologetics
• Creationism
• Doctor of Divinity
• Heresy
• History of theology
• Liberation theology
• Meaning of life
• Natural theology
• Neurotheology
• Odium theologicum
• Philosophy of religion
• Process theology
• Propitiation
• Scholasticism
• Systematic theology see also Constructive Theology

Apostasy (αποστασις, in classical Greek a defection or revolt from a military commander, from απο, apo, away, apart, στασις, stasis, standing) is a term generally employed to describe the formal renunciation of ones religion, especially if the motive be unworthy. ... Ascetical theology is the organized study or presentation of spiritual teachings found in Scripture and the Church Fathers that help the faithful to more perfectly follow Christ and attain to Christian perfection. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ... Christian theology practices theology from a Christian viewpoint or studies Christianity theologically. ... Christian Apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense (apologetics) of Christianity. ... This article is about the Abrahamic belief; creationism can also refer to origin beliefs in general or, centuries earlier, to an alternative to traducianism. ... Doctor of Divinity (D.D., Divinitatis Doctor in Latin) is an academic degree. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... {Under construction!} The history of theology is about the way theology has developed and the way history has impacted theology. ... Liberation theology is an important and controversial school in the theology of the Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. ... ... Natural theology (or natural religion) is theology based on reason and ordinary experience. ... This article is about Neurotheology. ... The Latin phrase Odium theologicum, literally meaning theological hatred, is the name given to the particular rancor and hatred generated by disputes over theology. ... Philosophy of religion is the rational study of the meaning and justification of fundamental religious claims, particularly about the nature and existence of God (or gods, or the divine). ... Process theology (also known as Neoclassical theology) is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead (1861 - 1947). ... Propitiation is a theological term denoting that by which God is rendered propitious, i. ... Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100 - 1500. ... Systematic theology is the study of Christian theology organized thematically (as opposed to historically, as in Historical Theology or Biblical Theology - according to some uses of the latter term). ... Constructive Theology is the re-definition of what has historically been known as Systematic theology. ...

External links

Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject:

School of Theology

• Catholic Apologetics of America (Roman Catholic)
• General Theology — the Science about God (New Age)
• Monergism: Systematic Theology (conservative Calvinist)
• Theological Links (Humor)
• Theopedia (conservative Calvinist)
• TheoWiki (InterFaith)
• Wesley Center for Applied Theology (Wesleyan/Holiness)
• the Wesleys and their Times (Wesleyan/Methodist)-->