Teologiaa

Teologia, or theology, is the systematic study of the divine, religious beliefs, and the relationship between the transcendent and the world. It seeks to articulate what different faith communities claim about God or gods, creation, human nature, salvation, ethics, and meaning. In Finnish, teologia refers to this discipline, and teologiaa is the partitive form used in sentences such as teologiaa käsittelevä tutkimus.

The discipline draws on diverse sources, including sacred texts, religious traditions, philosophical reasoning, and practical experience. It engages exegesis, hermeneutics, and doctrinal formulation, and it can be pursued for scholarly, pastoral, or confessional purposes. The aim is to produce coherent, well-supported accounts that remain faithful to their sources and communities.

Major branches of teologia include systematic theology (coherent accounts of belief), historical theology (development over time), biblical or theological interpretation of scriptures, moral or practical theology (ethics and ministry), pastoral theology (ministry contexts), philosophy of religion, missiology, and comparative or interreligious theology.

Teologia spans many religious traditions. Christian theology is a central form, but Islamic theology (kalām) and various forms of Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and other theologies also play important roles. These traditions employ different methods and questions yet share a common aim: to understand the nature of the divine, the meaning of religious life, and the implications for belief and practice.

Historically, teologia has evolved from ancient religious thought through late antiquity and the medieval period, expanding in the modern era with liberal, liberation, feminist, and contextual theologies. These movements address social, political, and cultural dimensions of faith, emphasizing interpretation, dialogue, and responsibility.