The Faculty of Theology was established as the first faculty at the Royal Frederick University in Christiania (later Oslo). The faculty has, as the only Theological faculty at a Norwegian university, a significant responsibility to society in relation to teaching, research, and communication. The faculty is often used as an expert reference by central authorities.

The faculty has been a traditional Evangelical Lutheran faculty with strong links to the Church of Norway, but in its meeting with the postmodern and globalisation it is in the process of being transformed into a Faculty of Theology for the new millenium.

The faculty has on average around 500 students and 18 permanent academic employees, 30 doctoral, post-doctoral, and other research fellows, and 10 administrative employees.