eschatology

noun

es·​cha·​tol·​o·​gy ˌe-skə-ˈtä-lə-jē How to pronounce eschatology (audio)
plural eschatologies
1
: a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind
2
: a belief concerning death, the end of the world, or the ultimate destiny of humankind
specifically : any of various Christian doctrines concerning the Second Coming, the resurrection of the dead, or the Last Judgment

Examples of eschatology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Indeed, part of what gives modern trauma theory its appeal is precisely its covert importation of Judeo-Christian redemptive eschatology: a grand narrative of human moral progress in which suffering is an essential motivation for all the principal actors. Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 Fashions come and go in all human endeavors—even eschatology, the study of the end of the world. Corey S. Powell, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2010 But the year 2012 likely never figured into Maya eschatology, the study of end times — that one was all us. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2020 Finding a way to measure deep time will shed light on all manner of questions from evolution to astronomy to eschatology, many of them not yet asked. Douglas Fox, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2015 Often apocalypticism is then differentiated from both millenarianism and eschatology. Michael Robbins, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022 The ongoing unraveling of California’s rail plan is an object lesson in how infrastructure as eschatology is a bad idea. Rich Lowry, National Review, 11 Oct. 2022 The singularity is digital messianism, as found in various strains of Judeo-Christian eschatology—a pretty basic onscreen Revelation. Stephen Marche, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2022 The complex interplay of the microscopic and macroscopic determines cosmic eschatology. Priyamvada Natarajan, The New York Review of Books, 15 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eschatology.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek eschatos last, farthest

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of eschatology was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near eschatology

Cite this Entry

“Eschatology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eschatology. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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