ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the historically problematic question of theology as a university discipline in Ireland. The first part explores how the institutional fate of theology, particularly Catholic theology, was determined by ecclesiastical and political compromises in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, none directly related to the academic nature of the discipline itself. It also examines what John Henry Newman's Dublin lectures contribute to our understanding of theology in the university. The second part reflects on the practical experience of “moving” theology from a denominational context into a secular university. It explores three contemporary approaches to the identity and legitimacy of theology in the university: the supremacy of theology, the captivity of theology, and the dialogicality of theology, arguing that the latter is the most fruitful approach.
