theology

noun

the·​ol·​o·​gy thē-ˈä-lə-jē How to pronounce theology (audio)
plural theologies
1
: the study of religious faith, practice, and experience
especially : the study of God and of God's relation to the world
2
a
: a theological theory or system
Thomist theology
a theology of atonement
b
: a distinctive body of theological opinion
Catholic theology
3
: a usually 4-year course of specialized religious training in a Roman Catholic major seminary

Examples of theology in a Sentence

He has an interest in theology and pastoral work. The bishop was opposed to the group's theology.
Recent Examples on the Web In addition to his communications degree, Mr. Massey earned degrees in theology and biblical studies. Aaron Morrison, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 2023 Herbal remedies were scribbled into the margins of early medieval works on theology, history, church sacraments and more. Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023 In 2008, one of Keller’s daughter, Anna, married Josh Duggar from the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, which featured the expansive Arkansas family and its devout Baptist theology. Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 3 July 2023 For the next 43 years, until their (second?) death in 1819, the Friend led a community of spiritual followers, preaching a radical variation on Quaker theology that stressed free will, God’s love, the abolition of slavery, and the possibility of utopian community and universal salvation. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2023 In fact, McManus seems to have cut and pasted his policy on gender from one issued by the bishop of Little Rock, Ark., in 2016, said David Palmieri, a theology teacher at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood who is writing a doctoral thesis on LGBTQ students in Catholic high schools. Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2023 Erasmus’ Latin was intimately personal, less formal than Medieval Latin, yet rich in references to antiquity and serious concern around theology, philosophy, and governance. WIRED, 16 June 2023 This really gets into the finer points of theology. Ariel Shapiro, The Verge, 3 Oct. 2023 That could also be influenced by those colleges' focus of study, given that Americans who earn theology or related degrees tend to earn less than other college grads. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'theology.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English theologie, from Anglo-French, from Latin theologia, from Greek, from the- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of theology was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near theology

Cite this Entry

“Theology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theology. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

theology

noun
the·​ol·​o·​gy thē-ˈäl-ə-jē How to pronounce theology (audio)
plural theologies
1
: the study of religion
2
: a set of religious beliefs
theologian
ˌthē-ə-ˈlō-jən
noun
theological
-ˈläj-i-kəl
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!