Definition of "Theologian"

What is a theologian? Clearly the Church doesn’t understand the term in the way in which is it understood in the academic world – Thérèse of Lisieux was no theologian in the academic sense of the term, but she is, nevertheless, a Doctor of the Church.

Archimandrite George of the Monastery of St Gregorios on Mount Athos is very clear as to the true meaning of the term Theologian (θεολόγος–theologos) in Orthodox thought, and his definition gives expression to the proper Catholic meaning of the term – as exemplified by “Doctors” (i.e. true theologians) such as Catherine of Siena, John of the Cross, and the like:

Theology deals with God, our participation in Him, and the underlying divine reality inherent in creation. It is far more than intellectual and scholarly discourse about God, and is not acquired through academic study. A real theologian is someone who has reached intimate communion with God and has perception of the spiritual world. To quote Evagrius, “If you are a theologian, you will pray truly; and if you truly pray, you are a theologian;” whilst St. Maximus the Confessor and St. Gregory Palamas says, “Our devotion lies not in words but in realities.”

Theosis – The True Purpose of Human Life (2006), p. 85.