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Introduction
Theology is the study of God and God’s role in the world. It is generally understood to refer specifically to the study of the Christian God. Among the world’s major religions, Christianity has historically devoted the most attention and energy to its conception of the divine. Many religions have no true analogue for theology; in others, discussions of the nature of the divine are relatively simple compared to discussions of moral law or the nature of the universe. This is not to say that there is no such thing as Jewish or Hindu theology; however, other terms, either "philosophy" or a faith-specific term (such as darshan in Hinduism), are often used when speaking of non-Christian theologies.
Branches and Modern Versions of Theology
Branches of theology include the aforementioned Christology; apologetics, the formal defense of Christian belief; eschatology, the study of the "end times," especially with reference to books of prophecy such as Revelation; Mariology, the study of Mary; pneumatology, the study of the Holy Spirit; and soteriology, the study of salvation. Special areas of study include exegesis (the close reading and interpretation of the Bible, part of Christianity’s Jewish heritage), historical theology (the study of the history of theology), and systematic theology, the attempt to organize Christine doctrine into a systematized statement. For clarity, theologians sometimes refer to discussions of the attributes of God and the Trinity as "theology proper."
Modern movements in Christian theology include black and womanist theologies, which address the marginalization of black men and women both in the United States and other countries; fundamentalism, which originated as a literalist interpretation of the Bible around 1900; emergent, emergence, or emerging church theology, an egalitarian postevangelical movement centered on house churches; feminist theology, focusing on the experience and perspective of women; liberation theology, developing in Latin America in the 1950s but no longer limited to the Latin American experience, focusing on social injustice and Christian doctrine from the perspective of the poor and institutionally victimized; death of God theology, which either posits that God at some point ceased to exist or supports a Christianity without belief in a supernatural God; weak theology, a deconstructed theology that developed in the wake of Timemagazine’s coverage of death of God theology; and prosperity theology, a televangelism-propagated teaching that Christian faith will lead to material wealth.
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Background Info
These resources will help you get a general overview on some of the important aspects of Theology.
- Theology Topic Page - Credo ReferenceCredo's Topic Pages provide a short summary of the topic, related topics, images, videos, articles, and links to additional resources.
Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought, Social Science, and Social Policy by Call Number: REFERENCE BX1753 .E595 2007 V.1-3ISBN: 9780810859067Publication Date: 2007-07-16With more than 800 topics from over 300 contributors, Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought, Social Science, and Social Policy is a comprehensive introduction to the Catholic vision of society, social relations, and the human being.
Historical Dictionary of Catholicism by Call Number: REFERENCE BX945.3 .C65 2012ISBN: 9780810857551Publication Date: 2012-02-23In the Historical Dictionary of Catholicism, author William J. Collinge provides the reader with a comprehensive introduction to the theology, doctrines, and worship of the religion. al, cross-referenced entries covering persons. The Second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Catholicism is an ideal access point for students, researchers, or anyone interested in the history of the Catholic Church.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation by Call Number: REFERENCE BS511.3 .O88 2013 V. 1ISBN: 9780199832262Publication Date: 2013-10-15The two-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation (OEBI) will fill a crucial need in the field of biblical studies by providing detailed, comprehensive treatments of the latest approaches to and methods for interpretation of the Bible written by expert practitioners.
A Short History of Christianity by Call Number: BR145.3 .B57 2015ISBN: 9781442252462Publication Date: 2015A Short History of Christianity vividly describes many of the significant players in the religion's rise and fall through the ages, from Jesus himself to Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther, Francis Xavier, John Wesley, and even the Beatles, who claimed to be "more popular than Jesus." Blainey takes us into the world of Christian worshipers through the ages--from housewives to stonemasons--and traces the rise of the critics of Christ and his followers. Eminently readable, and written with Blainey's characteristic curiosity and storytelling skill, this book often places Christianity at the center of world history.
Theology in America by Call Number: BT30 .U6 H65 2003ISBN: 0300095740Publication Date: 2003-08-11A comprehensive survey of early American Christian theology which encompasses scores of American theological traditions, schools of thought, and thinkers.
