eschatological

American  

[es-kuh-tl-oj-i-kuhl, e-skat-l-] / ˌɛs kə tlˈɒdʒ ɪ kəl, ɛˌskæt l- /

adjective

1. Theology. having to do with eschatology, a system of doctrines concerning final matters, such as death, the Judgment, the afterlife, etc..

   This scenario stems from a perception of the world as morally imperfect, and a desire for its eschatological redemption.

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Other Word Forms

• eschatologically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of eschatological

eschatolog(y) + -ical ( def. )

Explanation

Prophets, philosophers and theologians are all deeply concerned with eschatological issues, that is to say issues that are to do with divine judgement, the ultimate fate of mankind and the destiny of the soul. Eschatological content is heavy stuff, and fortunately not the sort of word that comes up often in casual conversation. Don't confuse eschatological with scatological, which sounds very similar but has a totally different meaning. To be scatological means to be unhealthily obsessed with excrement, or at the very least overly fond of bathroom humor. Keep your death jokes and poop jokes separate, please.

Example Sentences

For Wagner, this sort of eschatological outlook “fits Dominion Theology like a glove.”

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2024

Whorisky and her designers have played up these eschatological hints with bold surrealistic touches.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2022

All these eschatological fantasies have a long and tortuous history, from the crazy Russian cosmists to Wernher von Braun and his crew, who built the U.S. space program.

From Slate • Nov. 6, 2022

King was never sure, often telling people he relied on the maybe/maybe-not eschatological stance of his Jewish background.

From Washington Post • Jan. 24, 2021

This tells of the World, its beginning, its convulsions and its ending, and thus embraces the three minor cycles of the cosmogonical, the cataclysmal and the eschatological myths.

From The Religious Sentiment Its Source and Aim: A Contribution to the Science and Philosophy of Religion by Brinton, Daniel Garrison