Editing Theology (section)

===Indian religions===

====Buddhism====
{{Further|Buddhist philosophy|Trikāya}}
Some academic inquiries within [[Buddhism]], dedicated to the investigation of a Buddhist understanding of the world, prefer the designation [[Buddhist philosophy]] to the term ''Buddhist theology'', since Buddhism [[Creator in Buddhism|lacks the same conception of a ''theos'' or a Creator God]]. Jose Ignacio Cabezon, who argues that the use of ''theology'' is in fact appropriate, can only do so, he says, because "I take theology not to be restricted to discourse on God.... I take 'theology' not to be restricted to its etymological meaning. In that latter sense, Buddhism is of course atheological, rejecting as it does the notion of God."<ref>Cabezon, Jose Ignacio. 1999. "Buddhist Theology in the Academy." pp. 25–52 in ''Buddhist Theology: Critical Reflections by Contemporary Buddhist Scholars'', edited by R. Jackson and [[John Makransky|J. J. Makransky]]. London: Routledge.</ref> 

Whatever the case, there are various Buddhist theories and discussions on the nature of [[Buddhahood]] and the [[ultimate reality]] / highest form of [[divinity]], which has been termed "buddhology" by some scholars like [[Louis de La Vallée-Poussin]].<ref name=":4">de la Vallée Poussin, Louis. (1906). [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/abs/xxxi-studies-in-buddhist-dogma1-the-three-bodies-of-a-buddha-trikaya/5E32D32D56482F9A1A5219F5E1EFDFC7 "XXXI. Studies in Buddhist Dogma. The Three Bodies of a Buddha (Trikāya).''"''] ''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 38(4), 943–977.'' doi:10.1017/S0035869X0003522X</ref> This is a different usage of the term than when it is taken to mean the [[Buddhist studies|academic study of Buddhism]], and here would refer to the study of the nature of what a Buddha is. In [[Mahayana|Mahayana Buddhism]], a central concept in its buddhology is the doctrine of the three Buddha bodies (Sanskrit: [[Trikaya|Trikāya]]).<ref name=":4" /> This doctrine is shared by all Mahayana Buddhist traditions.  

====Hinduism====
{{See also|Vedanta|Vaishnavism|Shaivism|Shaktism}}
Within [[Hindu philosophy]], there are numerous traditions of philosophical speculation on the nature of the universe, of God (termed [[Brahman]], [[Paramatma]], [[Ishvara]], and/or [[Bhagavan]] in some schools of Hindu thought) and of the [[Ātman (Hinduism)|''ātman'']] (soul). The [[Sanskrit]] word for the various schools of Hindu philosophy is ''[[darśana]]'' ('view, viewpoint'), the most influential one in terms of modern Hindu religion is [[Vedanta]] and its various sub-schools, each of which presents a different theory of [[Ishvara]] (the Supreme lord, God).

[[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava theology]] has been a subject of study for many devotees, philosophers and scholars in [[India]] for centuries. A large part of its study lies in classifying and organizing the manifestations of thousands of gods and their aspects. In recent decades the study of Hinduism has also been taken up by a number of academic institutions in Europe, such as the [[Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies]] and [[Bhaktivedanta College]].<ref>King, Anna S. 2006. "For Love of Krishna: Forty Years of Chanting." pp. 134–67 in ''The Hare Krishna Movement: Forty Years of Chant and Change'', edited by G. Dwyer and R. J. Cole. London: [[I.B. Tauris]]. p. 163:

Describes developments in both institutions, and speaks of Hare Krishna devotees "studying Vaishnava theology and practice in mainstream universities."</ref> 

There are also other traditions of Hindu theology, including the various theologies of [[Shaivism]] (which include dualistic and [[Nondualism|non-dualistic]] strands) as well as the theologies of the Goddess centered [[Shaktism|Shakta traditions]] which posit a feminine deity as the ultimate.