theology Study of the nature of God and the relationship of the human and divine. The term was first used in the works of Plato and other Greek philosophers to refer to the teaching of myth, but the discipline expanded within Christianity and has found application in all theistic religions (see theism). It examines doctrines concerning such subjects as sin, faith, and grace and considers the terms of God’s covenant with humankind in mat¬ ters such as salvation and eschatology. Theology typically takes for
Theodora, detail of a Byzantine mosaic in the church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.
ANDRE HELD/J.P. ZIOLO
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Theophilus ► thermal expansion I 1897
granted the authority of a religious teacher or the validity of a religious experience. It is distinguished from philosophy in being concerned with justifying and explicating a faith, rather than questioning the underlying assumptions of such faith, but it often employs quasi-philosophical meth¬ ods.
Theophilus \the-'a-f3-los\ (Presbyter) pseudonym of Roger of
Helmarshausen (fl. 12th century) German monk and writer. He is known for his De Diversis Artibus (c. 1110-40), a thorough account of the techniques of almost all the known crafts of the early 12th century. From his writings it can be deduced that he was a practicing craftsman of the Benedictine order.
theorem In mathematics or logic, a statement whose validity has been established or proved. It consists of a hypothesis and a conclusion, begin¬ ning with certain assumptions that are necessary and sufficient to estab¬ lish a result. A system of theorems that build on and augment each other constitutes a theory. Within any theory, however, only statements that are essential, important, or of special interest are called theorems. Less impor¬ tant statements, usually stepping-stones in proofs of more important results, are called lemmas. A statement proved as a direct consequence of a theorem is a corollary of the theorem. Some theorems (and even lem¬ mas and corollaries) are singled out and given titles (e.g., Godel's theo¬ rem, FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF ALGEBRA, FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF CALCULUS,
Pythagorean theorem).
theosophy \the-'a-so-fe\ Religious philosophy with mystical concerns that can be traced to the ancient world. It holds that God, whose essence pervades the universe as an absolute reality, can be known only through mystical experience (see mysticism). It is characterized by esoteric doctrine and an interest in occult phenomena. Theosophical beliefs are found in Neoplatonism, Gnosticism, and among students of the Kabbala, but Jakob Bohme, who developed a complete theosophical system, is often called the father of modern theosophy. Today theosophy is associated with the Theo¬ sophical Society, founded by Helena Blavatsky in 1875. See also Annie Besant.
Thera See Thira
Theramenes Vthe-'ra-mo-.nezX (d. 404/403 bc, Athens) Athenian poli¬ tician. In 411 he helped install the Council of the Four Hundred. Sent to quell an insurrection at Piraeus, he instead led the mutineers in deposing the Council. In 410 he helped Alcibiades defeat the Peloponnesian navy at Cyzicus (see Peloponnesian War). Under Alcibiades he taxed shipping from the Black Sea, helping the economy of Athens to recover and help¬ ing restore full constitutional government. During the siege of Athens (405/404) he was sent to deal with Lysander and negotiated terms of capitu¬ lation as Athens underwent three months of starvation. A leader of the Thirty Tyrants installed by Lysander, he fell out with Critias and was forced to drink hemlock.
Therapeutae Vher-o-'pyii-teV Greek "Worshipers" Sect of Jewish ascetics believed to have settled along Lake Mareotis near Alexandria in the 1st century ad. Their origin and fate are unknown, and the only account of them is attributed to Philo Judaeus. They shared with the Ess- enes a dualistic view of the body and soul (see dualism) but differed from them in that their objective was “wisdom.” They viewed the scriptures as allegorical. Devoting themselves entirely to prayer and spiritual exercise, members lived in isolation for six days of the week and met on the Sab¬ bath for discourse and a common meal.
therapeutics \,ther-3-'pyu-tiks\ Treatment and care to combat disease or alleviate pain or injury. Its tools include drugs, surgery, radiation therapy, mechanical devices, diet, and psychiatry. Treatment may be active, to cure a disease (requiring no further treatment after recovery), treat it long-term, or heal a wound; symptomatic, to relieve symptoms until the immune system heals the body; supportive, to keep body functions going until the disease clears; or palliative, to minimize discomfort for patients with no chance of recovery. It almost always includes prevention, usually tertiary (see preventive medicine). Therapeutic measures can be cho¬ sen, combined, and tailored based on accurate diagnosis to fit each patient. See also alternative medicine; chemotherapy; holistic medicine; hydrotherapy;
NUCLEAR MEDICINE; OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY; PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION;
psychotherapy; respiratory therapy.
Theravada \,ter-3-'va-d3\ Major form of Buddhism, prevalent in Myan¬ mar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. It is the only survivor among the Hinayana schools of Buddhism, and it is generally regarded as
the oldest, most orthodox, and most conservative form of Buddhism. It is relatively uninfluenced by other indigenous belief systems. It is believed to have survived intact from the 500 Elders, who followed in the tradi¬ tion of the monks of the first Buddhist sangha. Theravada has no hierar¬ chical authority structure, though seniority is respected in the sangha. It accepts the Pali canon (see Tripitaka) as authoritative scripture. Therava- dins revere the historical Buddha but do not recognize the various celes¬ tial buddhas and ancillary gods associated with Mahayana Buddhism.
Therese of Lisieux \lez-'yoe\/ Saint orig. Marie-Francoise- Therese Martin (b. Jan. 2, 1873, Alen^on, France—d. Sept. 30, 1897, Lisieux; canonized May 17, 1925; feast day October 1) French Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church. Born into a devout Roman Catholic fam¬ ily, she entered the convent at Lisieux at age 15, where she was plagued by depression and guilt but was known for her sweetness of temper. At the insistence of the prioress, she wrote an account of her spiritual devel¬ opment, in which she called for an absolute and childlike surrender to God, which she called the Little Way. After her death from tuberculosis at age 24, the book was published as Story of a Soul (1898) and became widely popular, and her burial site at Lisieux became a place of pilgrim¬ age.
Theresienstadt \te-'ra-ze-3n-,shtat\ Nazi concentration camp in World War II. Originally a town in northern Bohemia (now in the Czech Repub¬ lic), it became a walled ghetto for Jews in 1941. After the small non- Jewish population was evacuated in 1942, Jewish captives were shipped there from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, and The Neth¬ erlands. Of the approximately 144,000 Jews sent to Theresienstadt, some 33,000 died in the dense crowding of the ghetto, and 88,000 were shipped on to extermination camps, especially Auschwitz. By the end of World War II, only 19,000 were alive. After the war, the town was resurrected under its Czech name, Terezfn.
thermae \'th9r-me\ Public bathing complex of ancient Rome, designed for relaxation and social activity as well as bathing. The Romans devel¬ oped public baths to a high degree of sophistication and standardization. They consisted of a large open garden surrounded by subsidiary club rooms and a main block that contained three large bath chambers—hot room, steam room, and warm room—and smaller bathrooms, cold room, and courts for exercise. Imperial thermae, such as the Baths of Caracalla (ad 216), were immense and opulently furnished. Service was supplied by slaves moving through underground passageways. Heating was accom¬ plished by circulating heated air from a fire under the floor. Lighting of the enormous rooms was provided by an ingenious system of clerestory windows.