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eschatology

American  
[es-kuh-tol-uh-jee] / ˌɛs kəˈtɒl ə dʒi /

noun

Theology.
  1. any system of doctrines concerning last, or final, matters, as death, the Judgment, the afterlife, etc.

  2. the branch of theology dealing with such matters.


eschatology British  
/ ˌɛskəˈtɒlədʒɪ, ˌɛskətəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

  1. the branch of theology or biblical exegesis concerned with the end of the world

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived 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.

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Vocabulary lists containing eschatology

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

The Messianic Hope has an intimate connection with Eschatology.

From Judaism by Abrahams, Israel

The later development of Israel's religion is presented in Marti's Religion of the Old Testament, in the first part of Toy's Judaism and Christianity, in Bousset's Judaism, and in Charles's Eschatology, Hebrew, Jewish and Christian.

From The Makers and Teachers of Judaism by Kent, Charles Foster

Eschatology of the Scripture Doctrines of the Coming of the Lord, the Judgment, and the Resurrection.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 04, No. 22, August, 1859 by Various

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