nontheological

Nontheological is an adjective used to describe content, claims, or methods that do not involve theology—the study or discussion of God, divine attributes, or religious doctrine. In academic and scholarly contexts, nontheological material may address religion from perspectives such as sociology, anthropology, history, psychology, ethics, or aesthetics, without grounding its arguments in theological premises or confessional commitments.

In practice, a nontheological analysis of religion explains practices, institutions, or beliefs by factors like social structures, cultural norms, economic conditions, or individual experiences, rather than by appeals to theological truth or revelation. For example, a sociologist of religion might examine how ritual practices reinforce community cohesion, while leaving theological interpretation to practitioners themselves. A critique of religious policy that focuses on human rights or secular law rather than doctrinal correctness could also be described as nontheological.

The term is not synonymous with secularism or atheism, nor does it imply a denial of religiosity. Rather, it signals a methodological stance that excludes theological argument as a primary means of explanation. Because usage varies by field, the precise sense of nontheological can differ; some writers may reserve it for analyses that explicitly omit theological reasoning, while others apply it more broadly to non-doctrinal discourse within religious contexts.

See also: theological, secular, nonreligious, exegesis, philosophy of religion.