atheologian

English

Etymology

From a- +‎ theologian, or atheology +‎ -an.

Noun

atheologian (plural atheologians)

A person who is not a theologian, especially one who opposes theology.
- 1602, Étienne Pasquier, “The third Booke of the Ieſuits Catechiſme”, in The Ieſuites Catechiſme. Or Examination of their doctrine, page 135:
  I leaue heere to your owne conſiderations, the places, examples, and authorities of holy Scripture,which are miſtaken, and this Monſiure might alleage. For of this aſſure your ſelues, theſe Atheologians, or maimed Diuines, will no more faile therein, then the Negromancers do, in the inuocation of their ſpirits, and diuels,or in their healing of diſeaſes.
- 1603, John Hayward, chapter 8, in An Answer to the First Part of a Certaine Conference, Concerning Svccesion, Pvblished not long ſince vnder the name of R. Dolman‎^[1], London: […] Simon Waterſon,and Cuthbert Burbie:
  They of your ſociety , as they tooke their originall from a ſouldier,ſo they are the onely Atheologians whoſe heades entertaine no other obiect but the tumult of realmes; […]
- 1889 December 28, “The Bishop of Durham”, in The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science, and Art‎^[2], volume 68, number 1783, London, page 729, column 1:
  To any one who knows what controversy really means the reading of such work as Dr. lightfoot.'s recently republished criticisms on Supernatural Religion, after the much-vaunted work of German theologians, or atheologians of the present day, or of their imitators and admirers in England, is like reading a proposition of Euclid after a speech of Mr. Gladstone's.
- 1904 December, “The Lordship of Christ”, in Salvation, volume VI, number 12, New York, page 368:
  From this condition of our prevalent religious nurture we may distinctly trace the readiness of the Christian age to dispense with God and be satisfied with a fancied human evolution of the Christian morals that we are addicted to; according to the teaching of the brood of atheologians who are capturing our seminaries and invading our pulpits.