Theologal. Tlie third Lateran Council, held in 1179, ordered that teachers should be appointed to the various churches and monasteries who should instruct the clergy, and be rewarded for their labors with suit- able benefices. The fourth Lateran Council repeated this ordinance, and provided in Canon 10 that only ca- pable men should be appointed in cathedrals and con- vent churches, who should, in their capacity of masters, assist the bishops in preaching, hearing confessions, im- posing ecclesiastical penalties, and otherwise promoting the welfare of Christians. Canon 11 provided, in ad- dition, that, where the means of a church permitted, a good teacher of grammar should be appointed; while metropolitan churches should appoint a theologian, whose business it should be to instruct the clergy and other religionists in the knowledge of Holy Scripture and all other matters which are important to the care of souls. This teacher should be allowed the income from a prebend so long as he continued to perform the func- tions of his office, but should not rank as a canon ; and it was to such instructors that the name of theolorjal was given. The Council of Basle ordered the more general employment of theiihxjals. See Fortgesetzte Samml. v. alien u. neuen theol. Sachen ( Leips. 1721 ), p. 9(58 ; Mansi, Sacr. Cone. Nova et A mpliss. Colleciio (Yenet- 1778), xxii, 998 sq. — Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s. V.
Theologia G-ermanica (the German title is Biichlein von der dtiitschen Theologie') is the title of the famous theological work, by an unknown author, which was discovered by Luther and published for the first time by him in 1516. The title implies merely that it is a German theological work, and is not to be understood as asserting the spirit of exclusiveness to which Poiret objecteil, in any degree.
The contents of the book are entirely in harmony with the writings of Tauler, Suso, and other mystics connected with the Friends oj' God of the 14th century. Its object is to teach self-renunciation, the laying-aside of our own and the accomplishing of the Divine will. It declares that only our self-will separates man from God, the perfect one; it was self-will that changed an- gels into devils, and it is this alone which feeds the flames of hell. Haughty and opinionated minds, it as- serts, aim at perfection in other ways than that of bn- milit}' and obedience. In this their conduct resembles that of the devil, and they can accordingly end only in ruin. Communion with God is to be had only when the soul passes through repentance and is purified from sin and selfishness, thus attaining to enlightenment. Love and the practice of virtue are also requisite to true enlightenment, as is, in addition, a cheerful en- durance of trials and temptations. Thus enlightened, a soul attains to union with God and enters into un- ending perfection.
The book has been attributed to various authors, e.g. Eblendus, Taidcr, etc., l>ut without authority. Luther's preface declares that it was written by a priest and custos in the "Deutschherrn" house at Frankfort-on- the-Main. A manuscript copy, discovered by Dr. Keuss of Wiirzburg, calls it simpl}' Der Franctfurter. Ham- borger, in Herzog, Real- Encyldop. s. v., thinks that the priest Heinrich of Rridelheim has been shown be- yond controversy to l)e its author. The question of authorship is a difficult one, because the writer, who was associated with the Friends of God, xntewXwwaWw followed the custom of those mystics in writing anony- mously.
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The fact that Luther first gave publicity to the work caused it to be regarded in time as tlie special property of Protestants. The Komish Church at first paid no attention to it, though it gave occasion to the Bavarian bishop Pirstinger to write a Ten-tsche Thtologey from his point of view. In March, 1621, however, the Ger- man Theology was placed on the Index. A recent Ro- mish theologian, Giinther, has charged it with pan- theistic tendencies; but this is evidently malicious, since it strains the language of a book which does not pretend to a strictly scientific character further than the case will warrant. Luther's edition of 1516 was incomplete ; but the second edition comprehended the whole work, and was accompanied with a preface from his pen. Numerous editions followed in rapid succes- sion, Luther himself adding five to those already men- tioned. The most desirable edition is perhaps that of Johann Arndt, who supplements Luther's preface with an excellent one by himself (1631). The manuscript discovered by Dr. Reuss was edited by Dr. I'feitfer, of Vienna (2d ed. 1855). This version is more complete than Luther's, particularly in the first third and near the end of the work. Repeated translations have been made into Low-German, Flemish, English, Latin, and French ; the best -known English version being that of Miss Susanna Winkworth, with preface by Rev. C. Kingsley, and introduction by Prof. Stowe (Andover, 1856). — Lisco, fleilslehre der Theologia Germanica, etc. (Stutt- gart, 1857), and Herzog, Real-Encykkq}. s. v.
Theologian, one who treats of theology, or the sci- ence of things divine. The most ancient Greeks used the latter terra in the sense of narralio de deo, and those who wrote the history of the gods, their works and ex- ploits, were called BtoXoyoi. Moses is called by Philo 3-foXoyav when he gives the history of the creation. Among the Romans, from the time of Numa Pompilius to that of the emperors, the knowledge and worship of the gods were made subservient to the interests of the State. Thus, according to Augustine {De Civ. Dei, vi, 1), there were three kinds of theology — the j^oet- ical, or that of the poets; the jjJii/sicdl, or that of the philosophers; and the poli/ical, or that of the legisla- tors. The Greek Christians originally designated any deep philosophical apprehension of the truths of relig- ion b\' the term Gnosis (knowledge), which was op- posed to Pistis (faith). First, during the 3d and 4th centuries, the word theologj^ came into use especially in connection with such of the fathers as defended the doctrine of the deity of the Logos. In this sense the evangelist John and Gregory of Nazianzum were term- 6,1 theologians. During the same period, the word the- ology was applied to the doctrine of the Trinity. In the century following, Thcodoret widened its applica- tion by applying it to the whole circle of theoretical instruction in religion. Finally, in the 12th centur}-, Abelard, in his Theologia ChrisHana, gave the word that comprehensive signification it still bears, as ex- pressive not onl)' of a theoretical, but also of a prac- tical, exposition of religious truth. In general, there- fore, theology is the knowledge of God carried to the highest degree of perfection in respect to correctness, clearness, and evidence of which it is susceptible in this world.