Doctor of Theology (in Latin Theologiae Doctor, abbreviate Th. D.) is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree, involving the publication of an original contribution to scholarship in the form of a dissertation, that is for most purposes the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy in Theology or a similar discipline. Th. D. programs are usually designed for theological scholarship within a religious tradition (most often, Christian), whereas Ph.D. programs are usually designed to study religious issues in the larger context of the liberal arts and humanities.