A theologian is a person who studies religion as a subject of serious thought — what a religion teaches about God, why it teaches that, how its holy books should be read, how its ideas hold together or clash. The word points at study and argument, not at holiness or at leading worship.

A theologian is a person who studies religion as a subject of serious thoughttheologian是把宗教當作嚴肅思考主題來研究的人 — what a religion teaches about God, why it teaches that, how its holy books should be read, how its ideas hold together or clash研究一個宗教教了什麼關於神的事、為什麼這樣教、它的聖典應該怎麼讀、它的思想彼此如何連貫或衝突。The word points at study and argument這個字指向的是研究和論證, not at holiness or at leading worship而不是聖潔或主持禮拜

So a theologian is not the same as a priest, a pastor, a monk or a nun, though one person can be both: many theologians work in universities, write books, teach students, and some of them are not religious believers at all — you can study a religion carefully without following it.

So a theologian is not the same as a priest, a pastor, a monk or a nun所以theologian跟神父、牧師、修士或修女不是同一回事, though one person can be both雖然一個人可以兩者都是: many theologians work in universities, write books, teach students許多theologian在大學工作、寫書、教學生, and some of them are not religious believers at all其中有些人根本不是宗教信徒 — you can study a religion carefully without following it你可以仔細研究一個宗教，卻不信奉它

In practice, when English speakers say 'theologian' with no other word attached, the reader usually pictures a Christian one, simply because the word grew up inside European Christian scholarship; when the person studies another religion, speakers normally say so — 'a Muslim theologian', 'a Buddhist theologian'.

In practice實際上, when English speakers say 'theologian' with no other word attached當英語使用者單獨說'theologian'、沒有加其他字時, the reader usually pictures a Christian one讀者通常會想到基督教的神學家, simply because the word grew up inside European Christian scholarship單純是因為這個字是從歐洲基督教學術傳統裡長出來的; when the person studies another religion如果研究的是其他宗教, speakers normally say so說話的人通常會特別講清楚 — 'a Muslim theologian', 'a Buddhist theologian''a Muslim theologian'、'a Buddhist theologian'

The word carries a slightly weighty, bookish feeling. It is at home in a news article, a book review or a lecture, and would sound heavy in casual talk. Countable: a theologian, three theologians.

The word carries a slightly weighty, bookish feeling這個字帶著一點厚重、書卷氣的感覺。It is at home in a news article, a book review or a lecture它適合出現在新聞文章、書評或演講裡, and would sound heavy in casual talk放在輕鬆的對話裡就會顯得太重。Countable可數名詞: a theologian, three theologiansa theologian, three theologians