You understand religious structures, doctrines and histories… not necessarily from a believer’s standpoint (although many theologians are believers by default) but from an informed perspective. At the upper levels (three dots or more), most people with this Trait tend to notice the common threads between different creeds; that, however, is not a universal tendency – plenty of dedicated theologians remain locked, with intense devotion, into a single religious belief.

For mages in particular, an understanding of local and cultural theology can be invaluable when influencing beliefs or turning them to your advantage (as described in the Reality Zones section of Mage 20, pp. 611-617), exploring and exploiting paradigms (see Belief: The Core of Focus in Mage 20, pp. 567-572, the Expanded Paradigms in this book, pp. 188-196, and The Paradigm Ward in How Do You DO That?, pp. 102-103), and seeking Mythic Threads and other potential tools of coincidence (Mage 20, pp. 61 and 588).

• Dabbler: You know the basic tenets.

•• Student: Deeper study reveals the inner workings.

••• Scholar: Esoteric elements of your chosen creed become obvious.

•••• Professor: You’re a dedicated authority in your creed… and perhaps in others as well.

••••• Master: Few people alive understand as much as you do about the pillars of belief.

Possessed by

Clergy, Religious Leaders, Religious Historians, Creed Advocates, Inquisitors, Activists, Scholars, Missionaries, Zealots, Chorus Mages

Specialties

Comparative Religion, Prosperity Gospel, Orthodoxy, Counter-Theology, Religion /Science Communion, Religious Activism, Religious History, Alternative /Marginalized Theologies, Loopholes, Hidden Scriptures, Dirty Little Secrets, Religious-Government Collaboration, End-Times Theology, Specific Religious Creeds (Spanish Catholicism, Nordic Heathenism, Reform Judaism, Universal Unitarianism, Tibetan Buddhism, etc.)

Ratings