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the field of study and analysis that treats of God and of God’s attributes and relations to the universe; study of divine things or religious truth; divinity.
a particular form, system, branch, or course of this study.
Contemporary Examples

For the progressive left, social activism grounded in faith and theology crested in the 1960s.
How My Party Found God Mike McCurry December 14, 2008

But that’s what happens when you start treating tax cuts as theology; you lose any sense of perspective.
Cowards Sank the Deficit Plan John Avlon December 2, 2010

In a sense, he thought Religious Zionist theology went both too far and not far enough.
The Religious Zionist You Didn’t Know Yehudah Mirsky June 14, 2012

He obsessively reads the theology books that line the sunroom: Max Lucado, C.S Lewis, even Billy Graham.
John Ramsey’s Lingering Suspicions Lucinda Franks October 12, 2008

The reasons for this, I believe, are more about politics, power, and money than about theology or faith.
Bishop Gene Robinson on His New Book ‘God Believes in Love’ & More David Sessions September 20, 2012

Historical Examples

But it is not with the theology of this subject that we are now dealing.
Lectures on the Philosophy and Practice of Slavery William A. Smith

They had been discussing the moral influence of racing; this seemed more like theology.
Thoroughbreds W. A. Fraser

The long truce in the criticism of Trinitarian theology is drawing to its end.
God The Invisible King Herbert George Wells

That went so far as to cast suspicion on all metaphysics, and somewhat on theology.
Initiation into Philosophy Emile Faguet

Indeed Luther did not hesitate to say, that after theology, music was the first of arts.
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVI, July 1852, Vol. V Various

noun (pl) -gies
the systematic study of the existence and nature of the divine and its relationship to and influence upon other beings
a specific branch of this study, undertaken from the perspective of a particular group: feminist theology
the systematic study of Christian revelation concerning God’s nature and purpose, esp through the teaching of the Church
a specific system, form, or branch of this study, esp for those preparing for the ministry or priesthood
n.

mid-14c., from Old French theologie “philosophical treatment of Christian doctrine” (14c.), from Latin theologia, from Greek theologia “an account of the gods,” from theologos “one discoursing on the gods,” from theos “god” (see Thea) + -logos “treating of.”

Theology moves back and forth between two poles, the eternal truth of its foundations and the temporal situation in which the eternal truth must be received. [Paul Tillich, “Systematic Theology,” 1951]

The disciplined study of religious questions, such as the nature of God, sin, and salvation.

1. Ironically or humorously used to refer to religious issues.
2. Technical fine points of an abstruse nature, especially those where the resolution is of theoretical interest but is relatively marginal with respect to actual use of a design or system. Used especially around software issues with a heavy AI or language-design component, such as the smart-data vs. smart-programs dispute in AI.
[Jargon File]