eschatology
Americannoun
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any system of doctrines concerning last, or final, matters, as death, the Judgment, the afterlife, etc.
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the branch of theology dealing with such matters.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of eschatology
First recorded in 1835–45; from Greek éschato(s) “last” + -logy
Explanation
What happens after death? We won't try to give an answer (even if we had one) here. But if you're interested in exploring this question, you're interested in eschatology — the part of theology that has to do with death or the end of the world. Eschatology comes from the Greek eskhatos, meaning "last," which makes sense given that this branch of theology is preoccupied with the study of the last part of life or death. More specifically, eschatology involves four elements or "last" things: death, judgment, heaven and hell. It's an examination of the ultimate destiny of mankind.
Vocabulary lists containing eschatology
Power Suffix: -ology
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World Religions
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Cosmos
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Victorious Eschatology is about the visible expansion of God's Kingdom on Earth through the actions of Christians.
From Salon • Jan. 31, 2024
Eschatology is a term used to describe ultimate things such as judgment, heaven and hell.
From Time Magazine Archive
Eschatology, the doctrine of the Last Things, with its practical inferences, all inseparably interwoven with the mission of Christ, forms the basis and scope of the whole document.
From The Destiny of the Soul A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life by Alger, William Rounseville
Eschatology, the department of theology which treats of the so-called last things, such as death, the intermediate state, the millennium, the return of Christ, the resurrection, the judgment, and the end of the world.
From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by Nuttall, P. Austin
But quite apart from this indefiniteness of attitude as to the meaning of immortality, it is scarcely possible to speak of a Jewish Eschatology at all.
From Judaism by Abrahams, Israel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
