Theologia

Theologia, or theology, is the study of the divine, of God or gods, and of religious truth claims as they relate to belief, worship, and practice. The term derives from Latin theologia, from Greek theologia, from theos “god” and logia “study, discourse.” The discipline seeks to articulate, defend, critique, and refine religious doctrines, using sources such as sacred texts, tradition, reason, and experience.

The field covers questions about the nature and attributes of the divine, creation, providence, revelation, salvation, and ethical implications of belief. It often operates through multiple methods, including exegesis of scriptures, philosophical argument, historical analysis, and doctrinal synthesis, and it interacts with other disciplines, such as biblical studies, philosophy, and anthropology.

Historically, theology has developed within specific religious traditions. In the Christian West, Patristic theologians (for example Augustine) laid foundations in late antiquity; medieval scholasticism (Aquinas, Anselm) sought systematic doctrine; the Reformation and subsequent modern theology diversified into confessional, liberal, and analytic strands. Non-Christian traditions—Islamic kalam, Jewish medieval thought, Hindu and Buddhist theological reflection—also produce systematic inquiries about the divine or ultimate reality.

Subfields include systematic theology, historical theology, biblical or exegetical theology, philosophical theology, morality or pastoral theology, and liturgical theology. While some view theology as faith seeking understanding, others emphasize its critical and interdisciplinary dimensions. The term theologia remains widely used in Latin-speaking and closely allied contexts.