Theologian

History is full of great religious thinkers. There was Saint Thomas Aquinas, for instance, who used logic to argue God’s existence; Erasmus, a scholar who satirized the clergy; and Martin Luther, who famously disputed the claim that people could buy their way into heaven. And then there’s George Michael, who said it simply but best when he sang, “You’ve got to have faith.”

With the exception of Michael, who’s better known for his dancing than his dogma, these men have at least one thing in common (other than God, of course): They were Theologians.

Like them, if you’re a Theologian you’re devoted to the rational study of religion. Often employed by churches, synagogues and mosques — perhaps as a Priest, Pastor, Rabbi or Minister — as well as universities — especially religious schools called seminaries, where you educate future members of the clergy — you’re a Professor of God who’s paid to read, research, write about and teach the content of religious texts.

As a Theologian, you might be an atheist or agnostic, or you might be a believer. Because theology is more scholarly than spiritual, it doesn’t really matter. What does is your enthusiasm for asking and answering profound religious questions, which might focus on Christianity or any number of world religions, from Judaism to Islam to Buddhism.

Those questions might be about the history of faith, the culture of the church, the content of scripture or the expression of religious themes in music, art and architecture. Always, however, their goal — and yours — is elevating man’s spirit by exercising man’s mind.