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.

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eschatology British  

/ ˌɛskəˈtɒlədʒɪ, ˌɛskətəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• eschatological adjective
• eschatologically adverb
• eschatologist noun

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.

Example Sentences

What this Christian eschatology does pose, however, is an acute problem for the American military.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

“We are seeing a substantially greater interest in what we would term eschatology or teachings on the end times,” Mr. Bekker said.

From Washington Times • Oct. 26, 2023

Fundamentalism is associated with what theologians call a premillennial eschatology.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2021

Martin starts rambling off a list of words: thaumatology, ontology, eschatology, epistemology, phenomenology, teleology, etiology, ontogeny.

From Washington Post • Oct. 12, 2020

He wished to learn the eschatology of the world; he dared to contemplate the Mind of God.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan