Religious studies
In some contemporary contexts, a distinction is made between "theology", which is seen as involving some level of commitment to the claims of the religious tradition being studied, and "religious studies", which is not. By contrast religious studies is normally seen as requiring that the question of the truth or falsehood of the religious traditions studied is kept outside its field. Religious studies involves the study of the historical or contemporary practices or ideas those traditions using intellectual tools and frameworks that are not themselves specifically tied to any religious tradition, and that are normally understood to be neutral or secular.