I cannot find any certified definition or doctrine of egology. If theology is the study of theos, God, then egology would be the study of ego, study of “I,” study of self. Though many philosophers have written about the self and though we study e*c*ology, from oikos meaning house or environment, apparently we don’t publish clinical studies in the field of the ego.

As Christians, we know that life is not about our ego; life is not defined according to the self. Paul said it simply:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

“Live no longer I (ego).” This does not mean that there is no life, it means that true life isn’t actuated by the pursuit of individual interests, by pursuit of me. Instead, “Christ lives in [us].” The living we do now is by faith in Christ, the one “who loved [us] and gave Himself for [us].” These are both past tense verbs, referring to His death, the sacrifice of His life so that we could have life.

In the context of Galatians 2, Paul is condemning legalism, condemning the pursuit of righteousness through works. Why? Because the ego uses the law to keep itself kicking. The ego hopes to use the law in hope of self-glory. That’s why faith is so important; faith looks away from self. That’s why the death of the ego with Christ is so important. That’s why communion is so important, not because we obey the ordinance, but because by faith we are constantly living on and in Christ.

A study of egology should be short for Christians who get that the ego is dead.