Theology

Also 4 teologye, 4–7 theologie (5 -i, 6 -ye). [a. F. théologie (14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. theologia, a. Gr. θεολογία, abstr. sb. f. θεολόγ-ος: see prec. and -LOGY. For the early sense-history see Note below.]

  1.  The study or science which treats of God, His nature and attributes, and His relations with man and the universe; ‘the science of things divine’ (Hooker); divinity.

  Dogmatic theology, theology as authoritatively held and taught by the church; a scientific statement of Christian dogma. Natural theology, theology based upon reasoning from natural facts apart from revelation. Pastoral theology, that branch of theology which deals with religious truth in its relation to the spiritual needs of men, and the ‘cure of souls’: see PASTORAL a. 4.

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 136. Bote Teologye [B. X. 180, C. XII. 129 theologie] haþ teoned me ten score tymes; For þe more I muse þeron þe mistiloker hit semeþ.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 969. The exposicion of this hooly preyere … I bitake to thise maistres of Theologie.

1552.  Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 1. Doctours of Theologie and Canon law.

1594.  Hooker, Eccl. Pol., III. viii. § 11. The whole drift of the scripture of God, what is it but only to teach Theologie? Theologie, what is it, but the Science of things Divine?

c. 1698.  Locke, Cond. Underst., xxii. Theology, which, containing the knowledge of God and His creatures, our duty to him and our fellow-creatures, and a view of our present and future state, is the comprehension of all other knowledge, directed to its true end.

1742.  Young, Nt. Th., IV. 73. Were I as plump, as stall’d theology, Wishing would waste me to this shade again.

1837.  Hallam, Hist. Lit. (1847), I. i. § 81. 72. Peter Lombard, the founder of systematic theology in the twelfth century.

1845.  Corrie, Theol., in Encycl. Metrop., 857/1. Under the … term Theology we comprehend all the knowledge which man can obtain respecting God, whether concerning His nature and attributes, or concerning the relation in which man stands to Him.

1874.  J. Duncan, Pulpit & Commun. Table, 73. Polemical theology is the defence, Practical theology the application, of Dogmatic theology, which again rests upon Exegetical.

  b.  A particular theological system or theory.

1669.  Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. III. iv. 53. Aristotle wonderfully agrees with the Mosaic Theologie herein.

1796.  H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), III. 734. Among those questions, two hundred referred to the theology of the Hebrews.

1830.  Mackintosh, Eth. Philos., Wks. 1846, I. 81. Clarke … considered such a scheme as the only security against Hobbism, and probably also against the Calvinistic theology.

1837.  Hallam, Hist. Lit. (1847), I. i. § 18. 13. The scholastic theology … was, in its general principle, an alliance between faith and reason.

1874.  J. B. Brown, Higher Life, xx. 408. There lies a meaning in these glorious words … for which there is no room that I can see in any of our theologies.

1899.  C. K. Paul, Mem., iv. 130. There [at Eton] in 1841 [some] of us … became conscious of the great stir which was going on at Oxford; a few of our masters were falling under the influence of the new theology.

1907.  Standard, 19 Jan., 9/4. Latest development of ‘New Theology.’

  c.  Applied to pagan or non-Christian systems.

1662.  Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., I. ii. § 8. Had we no other demonstration of the greatness of mans Apostacy and degeneracy, the Ægyptian Theology would be an irrefragable evidence of it.

1677.  Gilpin, Demonol. (1867), 201. The Gentile theology of demons is the thing which Paul prophesies should be introduced into Christianity.

1712.  Addison, Spect., No. 471, ¶ 8. Our Forefather, according to the Pagan Theology, had a great Vessel presented him by Pandora.

1841.  Elphinstone, Hist. India, II. iv. (1845), I. 211. Their theology, mythology, philosophy,… are almost entirely of the Hindu family.

  † 2.  Rarely used for Holy Scripture. So late Gr. θεολογία (Pseudo-Dion., de Cæl. Hier., 9 § 3), med.L. theologia. Obs.

[Cf. a. 1149.  Hugo de S. Victore (in Migne 1091 C). Theologia, id est divina scriptura.]

1494.  Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxx. 242. This Lamfranke … was perfytely lerned in the scyence of theologie or holy wrytte.

[Cf. 1653.  Milton, Hirelings (1659), 98. The study of Scripture (which is the only true theologie).].

  † b.  Hence, Virtues of theology (also vertues theologyes, (?) theologycs) = ‘theological virtues’: see THEOLOGICAL 1. Obs.

1422.  trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 124. The prologe of the iiij^e. Cardynale vertues, declarynge the .iij^e. vertues of theologie, and foure maner of goodis. Ibid., 145. Ther byth thre Vertues pryncipalle of theologi or dyuynte, y-callid in lateyne Fides, Spes, Caritas.

1502.  Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), II. i. 85. The thre vertues theologyes or diuynes.

  † 3.  Metaphysics. (See Note below.) Obs.

1390.  Gower, Conf., III. 86–7. Theorique … stant departed upon thre, The ferste … Is cleped in Philosophie The science of Theologie, That other named is Phisique, The thridde is seid Mathematique. Theologie is that science Which unto man yifth evidence Of thing which is noght bodely.

c. 1420.  ? Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 859. Arsmetry, Geometry with Astronomy,… Nobyll Theology, and Corporall Physyk.

  [Note. Gr. θεολογία meant ‘an account of the gods, or of God (whether legendary or philosophical).’ Varro, following the Stoics, distinguished three kinds of theologia, mythical, natural (rational), and civil, the last being the knowledge of the due rites and ceremonies of religion. This threefold division is referred to also by Tertullian and St. Augustine. In Christian Greek, the vb. θεολογεῖν was used = ‘to speak of as God, to attribute deity to,’ whence θεολογία had the specific sense of ‘the ascription of a divine nature to Christ,’ in contrast to οἰκονομία, the doctrine of his incarnation and human nature. Another patristic Gr. use, arising out of the primary sense, was ‘the account of God, or record of God’s ways, as given in the Bible,’ whence the late Gr. and med.L. use of theologia for the Scriptures themselves. In the 12th c. (1121–40) Abelard applied the term to a philosophical treatment of the doctrines of the Christian religion, which, though at first strongly condemned, became current, and, in this sense, ‘theologia’ came to designate a department of academic study, the text-books of which were the Bible and the Sentences (from the Fathers) of Peter Lombard. Hence the earliest Eng. use. (The passage from Gower in sense 3 is derived ultimately from Aristotle’s division of the theoretic forms of philosophy into μαθηματική, φυσική, θεολογική, the last being what we should call metaphysics, which included his doctrine of the divine nature.)]