:: wikimiki.org ::

Academic Discipline

Academic discipline

This is a list of academic disciplines (and academic fields). An academic discipline is a branch of knowledge which is formally taught, either at the university, or via some other such method. Functionally, disciplines are usually defined and recognised by the academic journals in which research is published, and the learned societies to which their practitioners belong. Each discipline usually has several sub-disciplines or branches and distinguishing lines are often both arbitrary and ambiguous. Historically (in medieval Europe) there where only four faculties in a university: Theology, Medicine, Jurisprudence and Arts, with the last one having a somewhat lower status than the other three. Today's disciplines have their roots in the mid- to late-19th century secularization of universities, when the traditional curriculum was supplemented by non-classical languages and literatures, physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. In the opening decades of the 20th century, education, sociology, and psychology took their place in the university curriculum. A "
- " denotes a field whose academic status is debated.

Natural sciences

Astronomy

- Astrophysics
- Cosmogony
- Cosmology

Behavioral science

Mathematics and computer science

Mathematics

- Algebra
- Analysis
- Calculus
- Game theory
- Geometry
- Information theory
- Number theory
- Probability theory
- Statistics
- Topology
- For a more extensive list, see list of mathematical topics, and list of lists of mathematical topics.

Computer science

- Algorithms
- Artificial intelligence
- Computer security
- Computing
- Complexity theory
- Cryptography
- Distributed systems
- Hardware
- Programming (see List of programming languages)
- Formal methods
- Information systems
- Robotics
- Visual Analytics See also: ACM [http://www.acm.org/class/ Computing Classification System]

Social sciences

Anthropology

- Biological anthropology
- Primate behavior
- Human evolution
- Population genetics
- Forensic anthropology
- Anthropological linguistics
- Synchronic linguistics (or Descriptive linguistics)
- Diachronic linguistics (or Historical linguistics)
- Educational
- Ethnolinguistics
- Sociolinguistics
- Archeology
- Cultural anthropology
- Anthropology of religion
- Anthropology of technology
- Economic anthropology
- Ethnography
- Ethnohistory
- Ethnology
- Ethnomusicology
- Human behavioral ecology
- Mythology
- Political anthropology
- Psychological anthropology
- Urban anthropology
- Historical anthropology

Archaeology

Communications

- Animal communications
- Information theory
- Interpersonal communications
- Marketing
- Propaganda
- Public affairs
- Public diplomacy
- Public relations
- Technical Writing
- Nonverbal communications
- Speech communications
- Telecommunications
- Computer-mediated communications
- Telecommunications Systems Management

Economics

- Econometrics
- Game theory
- Human development theory
- Labour economics
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics

Ethnic Studies

- Asian American Studies
- Black Studies or African American Studies
- Latino/Latina Studies
- Native American Studies

Ethnology

- Ethnomusicology
- Folklore

History

- Ancient history
- Diplomatic history
- European history
- Military history
- Modern history

Geography

- Cultural geography
- Economic geography
- Environmental geography
- Human geography
- Physical geography

Linguistics

- Historical linguistics
- Interlinguistics
- Morphology
- Phonetics
- Phonology
- Semantics
- Sociolinguistics
- Syntax

Political science

- Civics
- International relations
- Political philosophy
- Psephology
- Public policy

Psychology

- Astropsychology
-
- Behavioural psychology
- Cognitive psychology
- Cognitive science
- Differential psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Evolutionary psychology
- Experimental psychology
- Intrapersonal communications
- Neuropsychology
- Organisational psychology
- Psychology of work
- Parapsychology
-
- Psychoanalysis
- Social psychology

Semiotics

- Vexillology
-

Sociology

- Collective behavior
- Computational sociology
- Environmental sociology
- Interactionism
- Economic development
- Economic sociology
- Feminist sociology
- Functionalism
- Future studies
- Human ecology
- Industrial sociology
- Media Sociology
- Medical sociology
- Political sociology
- Program evaluation
- Public sociology
- Pure sociology
- Rural Sociology
- Science studies
- Science and technology studies
- Social change
- Social demography
- Social inequality
- Social movements
- Social Theory
- Sociology of culture
- Sociology of conflict
- Sociology of deviance
- Sociology of disaster
- Sociology of the family
- Sociology of markets
- Sociology of religion
- Sociology of sport
- Urban studies or Urban sociology
- Visual sociology

Humanities and arts

Area studies (sometimes called cultural studies)

- American studies
- African studies
- Asian Studies
- Catholic studies
- Chinese studies
- Eastern European studies
- Esperanto studies
- German studies
- International Studies
- Japanese studies
- Latin American studies
- Irish studies
- Islamic studies
- Jewish studies
- Russian studies

Art

- Art history
- Studio art

Classics

Creative writing

- Poetry composition
- Fiction writing
- Non-fiction writing and literary journalism

Dance

- Choreography
- Dance analysis
- Dance notation
- Dance studies
- Ethnochoreology
- History of dance
- Performance, somatic practice

English literature

also see Literature
- American literature
- African American literature
- Southern literature
- Australian literature
- British literature (literature outside England may be written in Celtic languages)
- English literature
- Northern Ireland literature
- Scottish literature
- Welsh literature
- Canadian literature (a significant amount of Canadian literature is also written in French)
- Irish literature
- New Zealand literature

Film studies and film criticism

- Animation

Folklore

History

- Ancient history
- Diplomatic history
- Ethnohistory
- European history
- History of science and technology
- Military history
- Modern history

Linguistics

see entry under social sciences

Literature and cultural studies

- English studies
- Comparative literature

Literatures

- English literature
- African American literature
- American literature
- British literature
- Indian literature
- Irish literature
- French literature
- Gaelic literature
- German literature
- Hindi literature
- Modern Hebrew Literature
- Portuguese & Brazilian literature
- Spanish literature
- Yiddish literature
- other languages' and cultures' literatures

Methods and topics

- Literary criticism
- Literary theory
- Media studies
- New media
- Poetics

Music

- Accompanying
- Arts leadership
- Chamber music
- Church music
- Musical composition
- Conducting
- Choral conducting
- Orchestral conducting
- Wind ensemble conducting
- Early music
- Jazz studies and new media
- Music education
- Music theory pedagodgy
- Music history
- Music theory
- Musicology
- Ethnomusicology
- Performance and literature
- Organ and historical keyboards
- Piano
- Strings, harp, and guitar
- Voice
- Woodwinds, brass, and percussion
- Orchestral studies

Museology

Mythology

Philology

Philosophy

- Aesthetics
- Continental philosophy
- Eastern philosophy
- Epistemology
- Ethics
- Hermeneutics
- History of philosophy
- Logic
- Metaphysics
- Philosophy of language
- Philosophy of mathematics
- Philosophy of mind
- Philosophy of religion
- Philosophy of science

Religious studies

- Canon law
- Catholic studies
- Comparative religious studies
- Islamic studies
- Hadith
- Islamic history
- Islamic jurisprudence
- Qur'an
- Jewish Studies
- Bible
- Halacha
- Jewish history
- Jewish philosophy
- Jewish literature
- Mythology
- Theology
- Astrology
-
- Christology
- Kabbalah
- Midrash
- Moral theology
- Mystical theology
- Numerology
-
- Spirituality
- Talmud

Theatre

- History
- Acting
- Directing
- Design
- Dramaturgy

Women's studies and gender studies

- Queer studies

Professions / Applied sciences

Design

- city planning, urban planning
- industrial design, product design
- graphic design
- architecture
- interior design (also see family and consumer science below)
- landscape architecture

Business

- Accounting scholarship
- Business ethics
- Finance
- Industrial and labor relations
- Collective bargaining
- Human resources
- Organizational Behavior
- International and comparative labor
- Labor economics
- Labor history
- Labor statistics
- Information systems
- Management
- Marketing
- Manufacturing

Education

- Curriculum and instruction
- Elementary Education (Primary education & Intermediate education)
- Middle school education
- Secondary education
- Higher education
- Physical Education
- Educational administration
- Educational psychology
- Educational technology

Engineering

- Acoustic engineering
- Agricultural engineering
- Architectural engineering
- Bioengineering
- Biomaterials engineering
- Biomedical engineering
- Chemical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Combat engineering
- Computer engineering
- Control systems engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Electronic engineering
- Microelectronics and semiconductor engineering
- Environmental engineering
- Industrial engineering
- Materials engineering
- Ceramic engineering
- Metallurgical engineering
- Polymer engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Mining engineering
- Nuclear engineering
- Ocean engineering
- Optical engineering
- Quality assurance engineering
- Petroleum engineering
- Robotics
- Safety engineering
- Telecommunications engineering
- Transportation engineering
- Aerospace engineering
- Automotive systems engineering
- Naval engineering
- Marine engineering
- Naval architecture

Ergonomics

Agriculture

- Animal science
- Agrology
- Agricultural economics
- Aquaculture
- Beekeeping (Apiculture)
- Horticulture
- Plant science

Forestry

- Forestry organisation
- Silviculture

Family and consumer science

- Foodservice management
- Hotel administration
- Consumer education
- Housing
- Interior design (also see architecture and environmental design above)
- Nutrition (also see medical sciences below)
- Textiles

Journalism and mass communications

- Advertising
- Film
- Journalism
- Broadcast journalism
- New media journalism
- Print journalism
- Public relations
- List of journalists

Law

- Canon law
- Comparative law
- Constitutional law
- Civil law
- Accounting law
- Admiralty law
- Corporations
- Civil procedure
- Contracts
- Environmental law
- International law
- Labor law
- Property law
- Tax law
- Torts
- Criminal law
- Criminal procedure
- Criminal justice (also see Public Affairs and Community Service below)
- Police science
- Forensics
- Islamic law
- Jewish law
- Jurisprudence
- Philosophy of law

Library and information science

Health sciences

- Medical Sciences
- Dentistry
- Dental hygiene and Epidemiology
- Dental surgery
- Restorative dentistry and Endodontics
- Orthodontics
- Oral and maxillofacial surgery
- Pedodontics (Pediatric dentistry)
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
- Implantology
- Human medicine
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology and diabetology
- Epidemiology
- Forensics
- Geriatrics
- Hematology
- Internal medicine
- Health science
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Pathology
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatry (see also: Anti-psychiatry
- )
- Rheumatology
- Surgery
- Midwifery
- Nursing
- Veterinary medicine
- Nutrition (also see family and consumer science above)
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
- Public health

Military science

- Artillery
- Air force studies
- Campaigning
- Combat engineering
- Comparative military systems
- Doctrine
- Force planning
- Game theory (also see economics above)
- Generalship
- Joint warfare studies
- Leadership
- Logistics
- Military ethics
- Military history
- Military intelligence
- Military law
- Military medicine
- Naval science
- Naval engineering
- Naval tactics
- Naval architecture
- Weapons systems
- Special operations and low intensity conflict
- Strategy
- Tactics
- Naval tactics

Public affairs and community service

- Criminal justice (also see Law above)
- Corrections
- Nonprofit administration
- Parks and recreation management
- Public administration
- Industrial and labor relations (also see Business above)
- Social work
- Gerontology

University

A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. A university provides both tertiary and quaternary education. University is derived from the Latin universitas, meaning corporation (since the first medieval European universities were simply groups of scholars). medieval European universities]

History

Because of the above definition, the oldest universities in the world were all European, as the awarding of academic degrees was not a custom of older institutions of learning in Asia and Africa. However, institutions of higher learning considerably older than the most ancient European universities existed in countries such as China, Egypt and India. The Academy, founded in 387 BC by the Greek philosopher Plato in the grove of Academos near Athens, taught its students philosophy, mathematics, and gymnastics, and is sometimes considered a forerunner of modern European universities. Other Greek cities with notable educational institutions include Kos (the home of Hippocrates), which had a medical school, and Rhodes, which had philosophical schools. Another famous classical university was the Museum and Library of Alexandria. About a thousand years after Plato, institutions bearing a resemblance to the modern university existed in Persia and the Islamic world, notably the Academy of Gundishapur and later also al-Azhar University in Cairo. In Asia, there were a number of institutions of higher learning that vaguely resembled universities in the Western sense of the word. In general, these are of considerable antiquity, predating western institutions of higher learning by centuries. In China, it's recorded that the education system had been established during the Yu period (2257 BC - 2208 BC) and the imperial central academy was named Shangyang (Shang means higher and Yang means school) at the time. The higher learning institution - imperial central academy, was called Piyong in Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 249 BC), Taixue in Han Dynasty (202 - 220) and Guozijian in Sui dynasty. For example, Nanjing University traces its source back to the imperial central academy at Nanking founded in 258 by the Kingdom of Wu. The early Chinese state depended upon literate, educated officials for operation of the empire, and an imperial examination was established in the Sui Dynasty (581 -618) for evaluating and selecting officials from the general populace. The ancient cities of Nalanda, Vikramasila, Kanchipura and Takshasila were greatly reputed centres of learning in the east, with students from all over Asia. In particular, Nalanda was a famous center of Buddhist scholarship, and as such it attracted a vast number of Buddhist scholars from China, central Asia and Southeast Asia. In the Carolingian period, a famous academy was created by Charlemagne for the purpose of educating the children of aristocrats to help train the professionals needed to run an empire. It was a foreshadow of the rise of the University in the 11th century. The first European medieval university was the University of Magnaura in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), founded in 849 by the emperor Bardas, followed by the University of Salerno (9th century)University of Bologna (1088) in Bologna, Italy, and the University of Paris (c. 1100) in Paris, France. Many of the medieval universities in Western Europe were born under the aegis of the Catholic Church, usually as cathedral schools or by papal bull as Studia Generali. In the early medieval period, most new universities were founded from pre-existing schools, usually when these schools were deemed to have become primarly sites of higher education. Many historians state that universities and cathedral schools were a continuation of the interest in learning promoted by monasteries. In Europe, young men proceeded to the university when they had completed the study of the trivium–the preparatory arts of grammar, rhetoric, and logic–and the quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. (See degrees of Oxford University for the history of how the trivium and quadrivium developed in relation to degrees, especially in anglophone universities). Universities are generally established by statute or charter. In the United Kingdom, for instance, a university is instituted by Act of Parliament or Royal Charter; in either case generally with the approval of Privy Council, and only such recognized bodies can award degrees of any kind.

Universities around the world

The funding and organisation of Universities is very different in different countries around the world. In some countries Universities are predominantly funded by the state, while in others funding may come from donors or from fees which students attending the University must pay. In some countries the vast majority of students attend University in their local town, while in other countries Universities attract students from all over the world, and may provide University accommodation for their students.

Universities and student life in different countries

- British universities
- Dutch universities
- French universities
- Irish universities
- Italian universities
- Spanish universities
- US universities
- Egyptian universities

Selective admissions

Unlike community colleges, enrollment at a university is generally not available to all. However, admission systems vary widely around the world, as discussed in the article college admissions.

Colloquial usage

Colloquially, the term university is used around the world for a phase in one's life: "when I was at university…"; in the United States, college is often used: "when I was in college…". See college, §3, for further discussion. In the United Kingdom and Australia "University" is often contracted to simply "Uni". The usual practice in the United States today is to call an institution made up of several faculties and granting a range of higher degrees a "university" while a smaller institution only granting bachelor's or associate's degrees is called a "college". (See liberal arts colleges, community college). Nevertheless, a few of America's oldest and most prestigious universities, such as Boston College, Dartmouth College and the College of William and Mary, have retained the term "college" in their names for historical reasons though they offer a wide range of higher degrees.

Related terms

: academia - academic rank - academy - admission - alumnus - aula - [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brain_farm Brain farm ]-Bologna process - business schools - Grandes écoles - campus - college - college and university rankings - dean - degree - diploma - discipline - [http://wiktionary.org/wiki/Dissertation dissertation] - faculty - fraternities and sororities - graduate student - graduation - lecturer - medieval university - medieval university (Asia) - mega university - perpetual student - professor - provost - rector - research - scholar - senioritis - student - tenure - tuition - undergraduate - universal access - university administration

References

- Walter Ruegg (ed), A History of the University in Europe, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (3 vols) ISBN 0521361079 (vol 3 reviewed by Laurence Brockliss in the Times Literary Supplement, no 5332, 10 June 2005, pages 3-4). Category:Educational stages ko:대학교 ms:Universiti ja:大学 simple:University th:มหาวิทยาลัย

Academic journal

In relation to the natural sciences, see Scientific journal An academic journal is a regularly-published, peer-reviewed publication that publishes scholarship relating to an academic discipline. The purpose of such a journal is to provide a place for the introduction of new research, as well as a forum for the critique of existing research. These two purposes are most often manifested in the publication of original articles and book reviews. The term "academic journal" applies to scholarly publications in all fields, but scientific journals vary somewhat in form and function from journals in the humanities and qualitative social sciences.

Scholarly Articles

In American academia, submissions are generally unsolicited. Professional scholars generally submit an article to a journal, and the editor (or editors) determines whether to reject the submission outright. If the editor chooses to consider the article for publication, it is then subject to anonymous peer-review by other scholars of the editor's choosing. The opinions of these outside reviewers are used in the determination to publish the article, to return it to the author for revision, or to reject the article. Even accepted articles are subject to further (and sometimes considerable) editing by the journal before publication. From the submission of an article to its publication is usually a process of several months.

Book Reviews

Book reviews serve as a check on the research published by scholars in manuscript form. Unlike articles, book reviews tend to be solicited. Journals typically have a separate book review editor who determines which new books should be reviewed and by whom. If an outside scholar accepts the book review editor's request to review a book, he or she generally receives a free copy of that book from the journal in exchange for a timely review. Publishers send books to book review editors in the hope that their books will be reviewed. The length and depth of reviews vary considerably from journal to journal.

Prestige

The prestige of an academic journal is established over time. There are dominant journals in each academic discipline that receive the largest number of submissions and therefore can be most selective in choosing their content. Among academic historians in the United States, for example, the two dominant journals are the American Historical Review and the Journal of American History, but there are dozens of other American peer-reviewed journals of history that specialize in specific time-periods, themes, or regions. In the American humanities, there is as yet no tradition (as currently exists in the sciences) of giving numerical prestige "values" to journals in schemes to quantify the relative importance of research (based on the number of references made to an article in other academic articles).

Financial Operation

Academic journals in the humanities and social sciences are usually subsidized by universities or professional organizations, and do not exist to make a profit. However, they often accept advertisements as a way of off-setting production costs. It is standard practice for academic journals to charge libraries much higher subscription rates than individual subscribers pay. Editors of smaller journals tend to have other professional responsibilities, most often as teaching professors.

New Developments

In recent years, the Internet has revolutionized the production of, and access to, academic journals. Journal content is often available online via services subscribed to by academic libraries. Individual articles are indexed in databases by subject.

External Links

- The American Historical Review http://www.historycooperative.org/ahr/
- The Journal of American History http://www.indiana.edu/~jah/
-

Learned society

A learned society is a society that exists to promote an academic discipline or group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honour conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies, such as the Roman Accademia dei Lincei, founded in 1603, the Académie française (founded 1635) or the Royal Society of London (1660). Most learned societies are non-profit organizations. Their activities typically include holding regular conferences for the presentation and discussion of new research results, and publishing or sponsoring academic journals in their discipline. Some also act as professional bodies, regulating the activities of their members in the public interest or the collective interest of the membership. Learned societies are of key importance in the sociology of science. The formation of a society is an important step in the emergence of a new discipline or sub-discipline.

Theology

Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, "God", + λογος, logos, "word" or "reason"). It can also refer to the study of other religious topics. A theologian is a person learned in theology. religious topics

History of the term

The word "Theology" is derived from Hellenistic Greek, but its meaning has changed significantly through its use in the European Christian thought of the Middle ages and Enlightenment The term theologia is used in Classical Greek literature, with the meaning "discourse on the gods or cosmology" (see Lidell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon for references). Since the authority of Hellenistic city states was partly based on religious observance, those who first sought to ask difficult questions about the gods were often viewed as heretics, or in the language of the day "atheists". Socrates is famous for having been condemned to death for teaching youths atheism (though in fact he had not). Plato, his pupil, wrote several discourses on the gods, though his doctrine of forms and emanations would be more significant for later Theology. Aristotle divided theoretical philosophy into mathematice, phusike and theologike, with the latter corresponding roughly to metaphysics, which for Aristotle included discussion of the nature of the divine. The term has since been appropriated by a number of Eastern and Western religious traditions. Drawing on Greek sources, the Latin writer Varro influentially distinguished three forms of such discourse: mythical (concerning the myths of the Greek gods), rational (philosophical analysis of the gods and of cosmology) and civil (concerning the rites and duties of public religious observance). Christian writers, working within the Hellenistic mould, began to use the term to describe their studies. It appears once in some biblical manuscripts, in the heading to the book of Revelation: apokalupsis ioannou tou theologou, "the revelation of John the theologos". There, however, we are probably dealing with a slightly different sense of the root logos, to mean not "rational discourse" but "word" or "message": ho theologos here is probably meant to tell us that the author of Revelation has presented God's revealed messages – words of God, logoi tou theou – not that he was a "theologian" in the modern English sense of the word. Other Christian writers used the term with several different ranges of meaning. # Some Latin authors, such as Tertullian and Augustine followed Varro's threefold usage, described above. # In patristic Greek sources, theologia could refer narrowly to the discussion of the nature and attributes of God. # In other patristic Greek sources, theologia could also refer narrowly to the discussion of the attribution of divine nature to Jesus. (It is in this sense that Gregory Nazianzus was nicknamed "the theologian": he was a staunch defender of the divinity of Christ.) # In medieval Greek and Latin sources, theologia (in the sense of "an account or record of the ways of God") could refer simply to the Bible. # In scholastic Latin sources, the term came to denote the rational study of the doctrines of the Christian religion, or (more precisely) the academic discipline which investigated the coherence and implications of the language and claims of the Bible and of the theological tradition (the latter often as represented in Peter Lombard's Sentences, a book of extracts from the Church Fathers). It is the last of these senses which lies behind most modern uses (though the second is also found in some academic and ecclesiastical contexts), and while the term "theology" can refer to any discussion of the nature of God or the gods, or indeed the discussion of any religious topic, it is also regularly used to denote the academic study (in Universities, seminaries and elsewhere) of the doctrines of Christianity, or of any other religion, or of the relationships and contrasts between various different religions, although the latter is a field more usually termed "comparative religion."

A brief history of "Theologies"

::Main article: History of theology Classical Greek theology (c.700 BC to 323 BC). Various forms of systematic and philosophical reflection on Ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology arose in the classical period - from Hesiod's attempts to organise the diverse materials of mythology into a unified Theogony to the more properly philosophical analysis reportedly carried out by Socrates. Plato's Timaeus and Aristotle's Metaphysics Book Lambda are two of the most influential writings of Classical Greek theology. Hellenistic theology (323 BC to 529 AD). Philosophical reflection on the gods, on religion, and on the origins and governance of the Universe, flourished in the Hellenistic period amongst both Greek- and Latin-speaking thinkers. Amongst the very diverse movements of Hellenistic philosophy in which theological reflection could be found were Cynicism, Stoicism, Epicureanism, Middle Platonism, and Neoplatonism. Influential texts include Cleanthes' Hymn to Zeus, Cicero's de Natura Deorum, Lucretius' de Rerum Natura, Epictetus' Enchiridion, and Plotinus' Enneads. Hellenistic theology, which could be deemed to last until the suppression of the Athenian Academy in 529 by Justinian I, overlaps with early Jewish and early Christian theology (see below), and several strands of thought important particularly to early Christian thought arise within Hellenistic circles: attempts to explain the apparent caprice of the gods, Atheism, the development of monotheism, the idea of God as first cause or form of the Good, the dualism of spirit and matter in humanity, and redemption (the release of the spirit from its material prison to a higher spiritual world) through knowledge. See also Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism and Ancient Greek religion - Theology Early Jewish theology (to c.200 AD). Two strands of Jewish theology develop in this period. On the one hand, there are those oral traditions of Rabbinic exegesis (Midrash) and legal discussion (Mishnah) that eventually began to be written down towards the end of the 2nd Century AD. Important figures include Gamliel I, Yohanan ben Zakkai, Gamliel II, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Judah haNasi. On the other hand, there is the attempt to accommodate traditional Jewish exegesis of the Jewish Scriptures and tradition with Greek philosophy - a strand of thought of which Philo is the best known proponent. The destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD and the dispersion of many Jews from Israel had a profound effect on Jewish Theology. Early Christian theology, coming partly from Hellenistic Judaism, therefore had no trouble in expressing itself in the Greek language (i.e. the New Testament). Whilst the conception of a canon of sacred books was inherited from Judaism, their interpretation soon came to be heavily influenced by Greek allegorical methods (e.g. Origen). Origen" during the long decline of the Roman Empire]] Patristic Theology (c. 100 – 500 AD) is so called because certain men (Fathers or "Patroi") concerned themselves with determining the degree to which the Christian faith could be accommodated to Hellenistic thought. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote to combat those who made Christianity into Gnostic Theology. Justin Martyr sought to use Hellenistic philosophy and Natural Theology to justify Christianity to the Romans. Later Theologians especially sought to show how three divine persons could be one in substance (the Trinity, see Council of Nicea) and how Jesus (a man of material flesh, see Council of Chalcedon) could at also be divine. These statements though held to be philosophically illogical were nevertheless held to be true, human reason being incapable of understanding them. This was an important development that would define the Theology of the Middle Ages in Islam as well as Christianity. Important theologians were Athanasius, Gregory of Nazanzius, Gregory of Nyssa, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine and Jerome. The fall of the Roman empire affected Theology in two main ways; Firstly monasticism became more popular and ascetic, and mystical theology therefore became more prevalent. Secondly, the increasing influence of the Bishop of Rome (The Pope) in theological doctrine and cultural differences between the two remnants of the Roman empire caused the doctrine of apostolic succession to be more important. The two sides finally split in 1054. The collapse of the Roman Empire meant that most Theology occurred in Monasteries with few of the resources of classical scholarship available. Over time many local variations in Theology developed and the traditions of pre-Christian religions were sometimes included in Theology as well as practice. Likewise, in the East, (Greece and the Levant) Theology became increasingly influenced by speculative neo-Platonism. The epistle of Dionysius the Areopagite was a popular guide with such ideas. Many monks came to emphasize the idea of the inherent evil of the world. Islam established itself in this atmosphere and began also to practice Theology. Although Islam is often considered to lack a "Theology" as in Christianity there were many attempts to frame Islamic ideas within Greek thought, especially during the early abbassids and the reign of the caliph al-mamun. However, this movement, Mu’tazilism, became discredited through the Abassids attempts to use it to enforce religious unity, and the popular and orthodox considered Hellenistic thought to be unhelpful and error. Theology would continue to be practiced, but was usually done so by an elite of intellectuals whose ideas would seldom be made public. These included Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Averroes, Avicenna and Al-Ghazali. High Medieval theology in Western Europe combined the Theology inherited from Dark-age monasticism with new learning from classical Hellenistic documents from the Islamic world. Thomas Aquinas, Anselm, John Duns Scotus and Peter Abelard were among the most important Theologians of this period. Peter Abelard]] The Renaissance yielded scholars the ability to read the scriptures in their original languages and this in part stimulated the Reformation, a Theological movement that based its "Protests" on a new understanding of the Bible. Most important were Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, Melancthon, Martin Bucer and the Anabaptists. Their Theology was developed by successors such as Theodore Beza, the English Puritans and Francis Turretin. The Catholic counter-reformation spearheaded by the Jesuits under Ignatius Loyola took their Theology from the decisions of the Council of Trent. The overall result of the Reformation was therefore to highlight distinctions of belief that had previously co-existed uneasily. The fall of Constantinople in the east, 1453, led to a significant shift of gravity to the rising state of Russia, the "Third Rome". The Renaissance would also stimulate a program of reforms by patriarchs of prayer books. A movement called the "Old believers" consequently resulted and influenced Russian Orthodox Theology in the direction of conservatism and Erastianism. After the Reformation protestant groups continued to splinter, leading to a range of new Theologies. The "Enthusiasts" were so named because of their emotional zeal. These included the Methodists, the Quakers and Baptists. Another group sought to reconcile Christian faith with "Modern" ideas, sometimes causing them to reject beliefs they considered to be illogical, including the Nicene creed and Chalcedonian creed. these included Unitarians and Universalists. The Nineteenth Century saw the rise of biblical criticism, new knowledge of religious diversity in other continents and above all the growth of science. This led many church men to espouse a form of Deism. This, along with concepts such as the brotherhood of man and a rejection of miracles led to what is called "Classic Liberalism". Immensely influential in its day, classic liberalism suffered badly as a result of the two world wars and fell prey to the criticisms of postmodernism.postmodernism Theologian]] Postmodern theology seeks to respond to the challenges of post modern and deconstructionist thought, and has included the death of God movement, Process Theology, Feminist theology and Queer Theology and most importantly Neo-orthodox Theology. Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann and Reinhold Niebuhr were Neo-Orthodoxies main representatives. In particular Barth labeled his Theology "Dialectical Theology", a reference to existentialism. The predominance of Classic Liberalism resulted in many reactionary movements amongst conservative believers. Evangelical theology, Pentecostal or Renewal theology and Fundamentalist theology, often combined with Dispensationalism, all moved from the fringe into the academy. Marxism stimulated the significant rise of Liberation Theology which can be interpreted as a challenge to Academic Theology that fails to challenge the establishment and help the poor. From the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth many groups established themselves that derived many of their beliefs from protestant evangelical groups but significantly differed in doctrine. These include the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Latter Day Saints and many so called "cults". Many of these groups use the protestant version of the bible and typically interpret it in a fundamentalist fashion, adding, however, special prophecy or scriptures, and typically denying the trinity and the full deity of Jesus Christ. Ecumenical Theology sought to discover a common consensus on theological matters that could bring the many Christian denominations together. As a movement it was successful in helping to provide a basis for the establishment of the World council of churches and for some reconciliation between more established denominations. But ecumenical theology was nearly always the concern of liberal theologians, often protestant ones. The movement for ecumenism was opposed especially by fundamentalists and viewed as flawed by many neo-orthodox theologians. The pattern of challenge from a changing world, liberal response from official representatives and orthodox backlash from conservatives is found also in the history of Islam and Judaism. Reform Judaism represents a liberal interpretation as against Orthodox Judaism, and moderate or Liberal Islam continues to be theologically distinct from Islamic Fundamentalism, notably its Wahabi and Deobandi Schools. As other religions came to be studied in Western post Christian academies the term Theology was applied to them, though, as noted below, this may be a serious misnomer!

Theology and religions other than Christianity

In academic theological circles, there is some debate as to whether theology is an activity peculiar to the Christian religion. If so we should distinguish Christian Theology from others. It is seen by some to be a term only appropriate to the study of a deity (a theos) within a presupposed belief in the ability to speak and reason about the subject (in logia) - and so to be less appropriate in religious contexts which are organized differently (i.e. religions without a deity, or which deny that such subjects can be studied logically). reason For example, some academic courses on Buddhism which are dedicated to the rational investigation of a Buddhist understanding of the world prefer the designation Buddhist philosophy to the term Buddhist theology, since Buddhism lacks the same conception of a theos. The same might be said of Hinduism which has many devas (deities). See for example, Vaishnava Theology, Advaita Vedanta and Hinduism#Nature of God. Moreover, the application of the term Theology to religions similar to Christianity can be misleading. in Islam, theological discussion which parallels Christian theological discussion has been a minor and even slightly disreputable activity, named "Kalam"; the Islamic analogue of Christian theological discussion would more properly be the investigation and elaboration of Islamic law, or "Fiqh". In Judaism the historical absence of political authority has meant that most theological reflection has happened within the context of the Jewish community and synagogue, rather than within specialised academic institutions. Nevertheless Jewish Theology has been historically very active and highly significant for Christian and Islamic Theology. Once again, the Jewish analogue of Christian theological discussion would more properly be Rabbinical discussion of Jewish law and Jewish Biblical commentaries.

Theology and the Academy

Theology has a significantly problematic relationship to Academia that is not shared by any other subject. Most universities founded before the modern era grew out of the church schools and monastic institutions of Western Europe during the High Middle Ages (e.g. University of Bologna, Paris University and Oxford University). They were founded to train young men to serve the church in Theology and Law (often Church or Canon Law). At such Universities Theological study was incomplete with Theological practice, including preaching, prayer and the Mass. Ancient Universities still maintain some of these links (e.g. having Chapels and Chaplains) and are more likely to teach Theology than other institutions. During the High Middle Ages theology was therefore the main subject at universities, being named "The Queen of the Sciences" alongside the Trivium and Quadrivium that young men were expected to study. This meant that the other subjects (including Philosophy) existed primarily to help with theological thought. With the Enlightenment universities began to change, teaching a wide range of subjects, especially in Germany, and from a Humanistic perspective. Theology was no longer the principle subject and Universities existed for many purposes, not only to train Clergy for established churches. Theology thus became unusual as the only subject to maintain a confessional basis in otherwise secular establishments. As a result theology is often distinguished from many other established Academic disciplines that cover the same subject area. Those who contend it is different claim it is distinguished by its viewpoint (it is studied from within a faith, rather than from without) and its practical involvement (theology cannot be truly studied or understood without a practical faith). Many of the early Church Fathers described the theologian as a person who "truly prays.". Non-religious theologians often disagree with these viewpoints, arguing that the term theology covers the study of religion or peoples' beliefs about God, rather than God himself. They also argue that human reason alone is sufficient to understand such subjects and that prayer and worship are not necessary. Nevertheless theology should be distinguished from the following disciplines; Comparative religion/Religious studies Philosophy of Religion The History of Religions Psychology of Religion Sociology of Religion All of these approach religion with humanistic presuppositions and assume a uniformity in religious faith and experience, unlike most theology.

Theological studies in different institutions

In Europe, the traditional places for the study of theology have been universities and seminaries. Typically the protestant state churches have trained their ministers in universities while the Catholic church has used seminaries. However, the secularization of European states has closed down the theological faculties in many countries while the Catholic church has increased the academical level of its priests by founding a number of pontifical universities. However, at least Finland and Sweden have state universities with faculties of theology training Lutheran priests as well as teachers and scholars of religion. As study of theology in these countries includes a strong (Christian) humanist content, graduates of theology who do not wish to embark on clerical career may find work also in marketing, business or administration, although this is frowned upon by many. In the United States, study of theology does not enjoy state endorsement due to the nature of the constitution of United States. Theological studies (often called Biblical studies) take place in a large number of universities, the academic level of which may vary considerably. The academic freedom of thought in many of these institutions may not reach the level of the faculties of theology in European state universities. Theologians ending up with view deemed "heretical" by the denomination upholding the institution may find themselves out of work.

Divisions of theology

Theology can be divided up in any number of ways. Many of these divisions have originated in the study of the Christian religion, although some have been adapted and extended to apply to other religions, or to the study of multiple religions. The most established distinctions are Systematic Theology, Biblical Studies/Biblical Theology, Historical Theology and Pastoral Theology. Theology can also be divided up into : Academic subdisciplines;
- Biblical Theology - focused on the investigation and interpretation of a religions' scriptures, especially noting different emphases (theologies) within different biblical books.
- Biblical Studies - focused on the interpretation and exegesis of the Bible.
- Comparative religion - focused on the comparison of common themes among different religious traditions
- Historical Theology - focused on the intellectual history of the religion
- Moral Theology - explores the moral and ethical dimensions of the religious life
- Patrology - studies the teaching of Church Fathers.
- Practical Theology - dedicated to the practical application of theological insights. Generally includes the subdisciplines of pastoral theology, homiletics, and Christian education, among others.
- Systematic theology (doctrinal theology, dogmatic theology or philosophical theology) - focused on the attempt to arrange and interpret the ideas current in the religion. Topic (or by 'Loci');
- Angelology (less common than it used to be) - angels, the unseen world
- Bibliology (a less common term than most of the others) - the Bible, the nature and means of its inspiration, etc.; hermeneutics is the study of proper biblical interpretation (exegesis).
- Christology (normally only in Christianity) - Jesus Christ, the nature of Christ, the relationship between the divine and human in Christ
- Covenant theology, an interpretive grid that understands God's plans in the Old and New Testaments as being a result of God's covenant with his chosen people. This movement is an alternative to Dispensationalism.
- Demonology (much less common than it used to be) - Satan, demons, evil spirits
- Dispensational Theology - an interpretative grid that views God's relationship with the created order as passing through successive "dispensations", in each of which the covenants of the previous one(s) may no longer be valid.
- Ecclesiology - the church
- Eschatology - literally, the study of 'last things' or 'ultimate things'. Covers subjects such as death and the afterlife, the end of history, the end of the world, the last judgment, the nature of hope and progress, etc.
- Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology - the Vaishnava Theology which emphasizes the devotee's relationship to the "Divine Couple," Radha and Krishna, and looks to Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an avatar embodying both Radha and Krishna.
- Harmatiology (often considered under 'soteriology') - sin
- Krishnology - the discourse concerning the Hindu deity Krishna within the context of Vaishnava Theology.
- Missiology (often a subsection of ecclesiology) - missions, evangelism, etc.
- Radhavallabha Theology is the Vaishnava Theology of Harivamsa Gosvami, who started the Radhavallabha sect. His theology emphasizes devotion to Radharani. This sect also has a famous temple in Vrindavan of the same name.
- Soteriology - the nature and means of salvation
- Theodicy - Attempts at reconciling the existence of all the evil and suffering in the world with the nature and power of the God or gods of the religion
- Theological anthropology - nature of human being, formerly known as the Doctrine of Man.
- Theology Proper - God or the divine: attributes, nature, and relation to the world. Often includes discussion of Creation and providence. See the nature of God in Western theology.
- Pneumatology - the Holy Spirit or divine Spirit; sometimes also 'geist' as in Hegelianism and other philosophico-theological systems;
- Vaishnava Theology is the theological discourse concerning the Hindu deity Vishnu and/or one of His avatar. Modes;
- Apophatic theology (or negative theology; sometimes contrasted with "cataphatic theology") - the discussion of what God is not, or the investigation of how language about God breaks down
- dialectical theology
- Natural theology - the discussion of those aspects of theology that can be investigated without the help of revelation, scriptures or tradition (sometimes contrasted with "positive theology") - the discussion of those aspects of theology Movements;
- Black theology
- Ecumenical theology
- Evangelical theology
- Feminist theology
- Holocaust theology(In response to the horrors of the Holocaustespecially in relation to Theodicy,
- Liberal theology
- Liberation theology
- Neo-Orthodoxy
- Paleo-Orthodoxy
- Postliberal theology or Narrative theology
- Postmodern theology
- Queer Theology
- Revisionist theology
- Transcendental Theology

Quotes

- "Theology is the effort to explain the unknowable in terms of the not worth knowing." - H.L. Mencken
- "An authentic theology will not allow man to be obsessed with himself." - Thomas F. Torrance in Reality and Scientific Theology
- "Theology announces not just what the Bible says but what it means." - J. Kenneth Grider in A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology (Kansas City: Beacon Hill, 1994), p. 19.

External links

- [http://catholicapologeticsofamerica.blogspot.com Catholic Apologetics of America] (Roman Catholic)
- [http://swami-center.org/en/text/Theology.html General Theology — the Science about God] (New Age)
- [http://www.monergism.com/systematic.html Monergism: Systematic Theology] (conservative Calvinist)
- [http://www.geocities.com/dbusnipe/subjective_truth/theological.htm Theological Links] (Humor)
- [http://www.theoped