What is Theology?

The most common definition of theology is: "theology is faith seeking understanding." This definition is derived from the Latin phrase "fides quarens intellectum," which was written by St. Anselm (1033-1109) in the introductory of his book Curs Deus Homo ("Why the God-Man?')

"As the right order requires us to believe the deep things of Christian faith before we undertake to discuss them by reason; so to my mind it appears a neglect if, after we are established in the faith, we do not seek to understand what we believe." St. Anselm, Curs Deus Homo, English trans. from Latin by Sidney Norton Deane

Hence, theology must be derived first from faith and as a necessity likewise includes dogma. Yet while bounded by dogma, theology extends beyond to the intellectual and philosophical disciplines.

An emergent sense of theology arises at the earliest times in our lives when we begin to question "what is happening around me?" "Why is this happening?" "Is there a meaning to this happening?" "What will happen after I die?" "Is there some greater meaning beyond this world and how do I as a person fit into it?"

Thus, in a certain respect, theology seeks a deeper understanding of the basics of life.

Examining at the etymology of the word "theology" we can see that it is a combination of two Greek words: "Theo" meaning "God" and "Logos" meaning "word," "reason," or "study." As such, theology can be defined as the study of God or, more specifically, the study of reasoning about God and His revelation to us.