Eschatology

Eschatology refers to how individuals and communities understand the future and its ultimate meaning. It includes expectations about endings, judgment, restoration, or transformation, whether of human history, society, or the cosmos itself. These ideas often emerge during periods of crisis, uncertainty, or hope and help explain how present actions relate to anticipated outcomes. Eschatology does not require fixed predictions and is frequently symbolic, ethical, or imaginative. Across cultures and traditions, it shapes views of time, justice, responsibility, and the purpose of existence.