Theology

Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, "God", + λογος, logos, "word" or "reason"). It also refers to the study of other religious topics. A theologian is a person learned in theology.

Theology and transformation

In Eastern Christianity, there is more emphasis on prayer than on intellectual thought and study as a means to learn about God, and so as the proper form of "theology". Many of the early church fathers described the theologian as a person who "truly prays."

Related Topics:
Eastern Christianity - Prayer - Church father

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Similarly, some other Christians, and some practitioners of other theistic religions, believe that to study God without any kind of relationship or desire for relationship with God is almost meaningless, as they believe that it is only in such a relationship that one finds an encounter with God sufficient to allow the testing and refining of claims about God. As the discussion above suggests, however, others would argue that one can engage with issues in terms of notions around "God" as an exercise in history, anthropology, and/or sociology, yet not have any desire for engagement in terms of the personal God offered in terms of certain forms of religion.

Related Topics:
Theistic - History - Anthropology - Sociology - Religion

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

More generally, however, many theologians consider that, because the topics considered in theology touch on the theologians' deepest commitments and beliefs, it is impossible to study theology with complete detachment: the study of theology is "self-involving" in a way that makes some kinds of objectivity difficult. The study of theology, such theologians argue, is (if undertaken seriously and with an open mind) likely to lead to personal transformation of some sort - although that transformation might take many different forms.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~