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theology

n.
US //θiˈɑɫədʒi// UK //θɪˈɒlədʒi// the·ol·o·gy
  1. 1 the study of religion (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Religion

    the study of God and religious beliefs.

    the academic and philosophical study of the nature of the divine and the truth of religious belief.

    Example

    She decided to study theology at university because she was interested in how different cultures view God.

    Example

    The professor of systematic theology argued that modern secularism has roots in medieval scholastic debates.

    Usage

    Often used without an article when referring to the academic field.
  2. 2 a system of belief (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Religion

    a specific set of religious ideas or theories.

    a particular system, theory, or formulation of religious belief.

    Example

    The book explores the theology of the early Christian church.

    Example

    Liberation theology emerged as a powerful movement in Latin America, focusing on social justice and the plight of the poor.
  3. 3 minor technical details (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang Technical Computing

    small, complicated details that most people do not care about.

    subjective or overly technical marginal details, often regarding software architecture or internal logic.

    Example

    The programmers spent hours arguing over the theology of the new database design.

    Example

    The senior engineer dismissed the debate over naming conventions as mere theology that didn't affect the system's performance.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a metaphorical use in the tech industry to describe arguments over 'correct' ways of doing things that have little practical impact.
Origin

From Middle English theologie, from Middle French theologie, from Old French theologie, from Latin theologia, from Koine Greek θεολογία (theología), from θεολόγος (theológos, adjective), from θεός (theós) + λόγος (lógos). By surface analysis, theo- + -logy.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Last updated June 20, 2026