Meaning of theology (what is it, concept and definition)

What is theology:

Theology is the discipline that studies the nature of God and his attributes, as well as the knowledge that the human being has about the divinity.

The word theology is of Greek origin θεος or theos that means “god” and λογος or logos that expresses “study” or “reasoning”. Consequently, theology means the study of God and the facts related to him.

The term theology is born in the bosom of philosophy, and was observed and used for the first time in the book The Republic of Plato. In this context, Plato refers to theology in order to express the process of understanding the divine nature through reason.

Later, the expression theology was used by Aristotle to refer to mythological thought and, later, as a fundamental branch of philosophy. The Aristotelian concept of metaphysics includes, but is not limited to, the study of divine things as one of its subjects.

Theology was accepted by Christianity between the 4th and 5th centuries. Since then, in the Christian world, philosophy and theology were studied as part of the same discipline until the Renaissance. That is, theology was considered a branch of philosophy until secularization favored their independence from one another.

All religions apply studies in theology. In this sense, one can speak of Abrahamic (Jewish, Christian, Islamic), Egyptian, Greek, Nordic and Celtic theology, to cite the most widespread examples.

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Branches of theology

As a discipline of thought, different types of theology or branches of theology can be spoken of depending on their general purpose. Next, let's look at the main types of theology, from which different interpretations emerge.

Natural or rational theology

Natural theology, also known as rational theology, is based on the study of the divine without taking into account supernatural revelations, studies or analyzes of the different books that make up the scriptures or religious experiences. The students of natural theology affirm that when observing nature the divine is manifested, as well as everything created by the divinity.

Dogmatic and revealed theology

Dogmatic theology is one that studies the theoretical principles on which faith in divinity is centered, and which are taken as revealed truths. In the beginning, apologetics or fundamental theology were observed as dogmatic theology. Apologetics consists of defending a position from the different points of view of faith and its derivations. Over time, both sciences became independent, leaving fundamental theology in the study of faith, its reason, characteristics and foundations with respect to other religions.

Moral theology

Moral theology refers to a branch or trend of theology that aims to reflect on the notion of good and evil and its implication in human behavior. It takes as its starting point the theological principles that govern the scale of values ​​of a certain religious belief system.

Eschatology

Eschatology is a branch of theology that studies in particular the ultimate end of human existence and of history. It is interrogated by the notions of trasmundo. For example, the notions of heaven, hell, purgatory, hades, sheol, reincarnation, etc. It also reflects on the destiny of humanity and the universe.

Pneumatology

Pneumatology or pneumatology is the branch of theology that deals with the study of spiritual beings or spiritual phenomena. It deals with notions such as spirit, breath, breath, wind, which are related to hidden but perceptible forces. In the case of Christianity, for example, pneumatology studies in particular the nature of the Holy Spirit.

Christian theology

For Christians, theology is an indispensable tool in the study of the doctrine revealed in the Bible. There are three broad lines of interpretation: Catholic theology, Orthodox theology, and Protestant theology. Either of them bases their studies on two mysteries:

• the Christological mystery that focuses on the life of Jesus Christ from his birth to his death and, the Trinitarian mystery that is based on recognizing a single God under the figures of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Christian theology is also expressed in dogmatic theology, moral theology, eschatology, or pneumatology. But also, it develops some branches that are its own. We will name some of the most important ones below.

Biblical theology

Biblical theology, as its name indicates, is in charge of studying and analyzing the different books that make up Holy Scripture, on which Christians base their beliefs and way of life.

Christology

Christology is a specific part of Christian theology whose center of interest is the study of the person of Jesus of Nazareth, his thought and his nature. In this sense, the study of passages such as the Incarnation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Passion, Resurrection, among others, is fundamental.

Systematic theology

Systematic theology allows us to organize and perceive current events with the events narrated in the different books of the Bible. That is to say, it asks about the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures in the concrete and historical experience of the believing subject.

Theology of education

The theology of education refers to the theological study and reflection on the development of the person, that is, of his human maturation, based on the educational process. In this sense, he understands that education is not limited to simple schooling but must be conceived as a sign of the culture of the times. It is, therefore, a call to education given by Catholic schools to reorient the objective of the formation they offer.