释义 |
theology|θiːˈɒlədʒɪ| 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. n. f. θεολόγ-ος: see prec. and -logy. For the early sense-history see Note below.] 1. a. 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. Biblical theology: orig. theology as a non-dogmatic description of the religious doctrines contained in the Bible, following J. P. Gabler's distinction, in 1787, between biblical and dogmatic theology; now usu. the exposition of biblical texts (both O.T. and N.T.), based on the presupposition that there is a common biblical way of thinking which informs the Bible as a whole. 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.
1362Langl. 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. c1386Chaucer Pars. T. ⁋969 The exposicion of this hooly preyere..I bitake to thise maistres of Theologie. 1552Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 1 Doctours of Theologie and Canon law. 1594Hooker 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? c1698Locke 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. 1742Young Nt. Th. iv. 73 Were I as plump, as stall'd theology, Wishing would waste me to this shade again. [1787J. P. Gabler Kleinere Theologische Schriften (1831) II. 179 (title) De iusto discrimine theologiae biblicae et dogmaticae regundisque recte utriusque finibus.] 1837Hallam Hist. Lit. (1847) I. i. § 81. 72 Peter Lombard, the founder of systematic theology in the twelfth century. 1845Corrie 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. 1846C. W. Buch tr. Hagenbach's Compendium Hist. of Doctrines I. 5 In our opinion biblical theology is only to be regarded as the foundation-stone of the edifice..and dogmatic theology as the builder. 1874J. Duncan Pulpit & Commun. Table 73 Polemical theology is the defence, Practical theology the application, of Dogmatic theology, which again rests upon Exegetical. 1888Encycl. Brit. XXIII. 264/2 Biblical theology is the delineation of a section of religious ideas,—that section of which the traces and records remain in the Bible. 1904A. B. Davidson Theology of O.T. i. 1 In Biblical Theology the Bible is the source of the knowledge, and also supplies the form in which the knowledge is presented. 1951H. H. Rowley Old Testament & Modern Study xi. 312 Since the publication of Gabler's famous address in 1787, the correctness of the distinction which he drew between biblical and dogmatic theology has been accepted as axiomatic by the majority of scholars. 1958Listener 14 Aug. 241/1 A new subject has appeared called Biblical Theology. This means that the Bible, or rather the New Testament, is now subjected to analysis in order to see what is the total message or picture that it contains. 1969A. Richardson Dict. Christian Theol. 36/2 The question..remains whether there can be a completely presuppositionless interpretation of any historical documents (as tended to be assumed by those who regarded biblical theology as a purely descriptive science). b. A particular theological system or theory. Also fig. liberation theology, theology of liberation: see liberation theology.
1669Gale Crt. Gentiles i. iii. iv. 53 Aristotle wonderfully agrees with the Mosaic Theologie herein. 1796H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) III. 734 Among those questions, two hundred referred to the theology of the Hebrews. 1830Mackintosh Eth. Philos. Wks. 1846 I. 81 Clarke..considered such a scheme as the only security against Hobbism, and probably also against the Calvinistic theology. 1837Hallam Hist. Lit. (1847) I. i. §18. 13 The scholastic theology..was, in its general principle, an alliance between faith and reason. 1874J. 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. 1899C. 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. 1907Standard 19 Jan. 9/4 Latest development of ‘New Theology’. 1956P. Larkin Less Deceived 36 Our garden, first: where I did not invent Blinding theologies of flowers and fruit, And wasn't spoken to by an old hat. c. Applied to pagan or non-Christian systems.
1662Stillingfl. 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. 1677Gilpin Demonol. (1867) 201 The Gentile theology of demons is the thing which Paul prophesies should be introduced into Christianity. 1712Addison Spect. No. 471 ⁋8 Our Forefather, according to the Pagan Theology, had a great Vessel presented him by Pandora. 1841Elphinstone Hist. India ii. iv. (1845) I. 211 Their theology, mythology, philosophy,..are almost entirely of the Hindú family. d. In trivial or disparaging use: a system of theoretical principles; an (impractical or rigid) ideology. Cf. theological a. (n.) 3.
1962Listener 29 Mar. 551/2, I would also like to see a couple of first-class philosophers, who would..check the new brand of strategists, who have produced a complete theology, not only about the deterrent but about conventional weapons, and about morale and everything else. I think the spectacle of Whitehall trying to keep up with American theologies is too sad for words. 1973Times 3 Oct. 14/4 There were also a few rival interpretations of Marxist theology. a1974R. Crossman Diaries (1976) II. 391 At S.E.P., this morning, we were discussing Paper 105, a brilliant demolition of the theology of PESC. 1980Times Lit. Suppl. 8 Feb. 134/2 Like the farmers of Iowa in relation to China in a later period, they were impatient with the theology of diplomatic recognition. †2. a. Rarely used for Holy Scripture. So late Gr. θεολογία (Pseudo-Dion. De Cæl. Hier. 9 §3), med.L. theologia. Obs.[Cf.a1149Hugo de S. Victore (in Migne 1091 C), Theologia, id est divina scriptura.] 1494Fabyan Chron. vii. ccxx. 242 This Lamfranke..was perfytely lerned in the scyence of theologie or holy wrytte. [Cf.1653Milton 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.
1422tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 124 The prologe of the iiij⊇. Cardynale vertues, declarynge the .iij⊇. 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. 1502Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) ii. i. 85 The thre vertues theologyes or diuynes. †3. Metaphysics. (See Note below.) Obs.
1390Gower 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. c1425? 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.)]
Add:[1.] [b.] theology of hope [tr. G. Theologie der Hoffnung], a theory popularized by West German theologians in the 1960s, emphasizing Christian hope as the basis for human action and realized eschatology; cf. liberation theology n.
[1959E. Bloch (title) Das Prinzip Hoffnung.] 1967J. W. Leitch tr. Moltmann's Theol. of Hope 26 The most serious objection to a theology of hope springs not from presumption or despair, for these two basic attitudes of human existence presuppose hope. 1969J. C. Bennett in In Search of Theol. of Devel. 8, I do believe that there is a tendency in the theologies of hope to take a short cut and too easily to deduce hope for social and political changes from Christian doctrine. 1977A. Ecclestone Staircase for Silence v. 99 A theology of hope has become a recognised feature of our time. 1984Sunday Tel. 9 Sept. 6/5 Liberation Theology was spawned in West Germany in the early 1960s (when it was called the Theology of Hope), and has since spread all over Latin America. |