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Eschatology studies the end of the world, the coming of God or gods, and the outcome for humans. Monotheistic beliefs include the selection of the worthy for eternal life in heaven and the destruction of the earth. Hindu eschatology involves cycles of depravity and restoration by an avatar. Philosophical eschatology can be religious or secular, with some predicting the collapse of civilization. Science fiction often explores eschatological themes, focusing on the end of civilization through technology or cataclysmic events.
Eschatology is a branch of theology or philosophy that studies the end or last days of the world, the coming of God or gods and the outcome for humans who are living at that time or for humans who have already died. Escatos means ultimate or final, and logy translates to word or study of something. From a philosophical point of view, people could compare the various theories of eschatology in a dispassionate way. For many religious groups, eschatology becomes a concern with the actual events that will occur when the world or people of the world experience their last days and a “second coming” brings people and the divine together.
Many Christian, Jewish, and Islamic beliefs hold that the world, when it ends, will begin with a selection of the worthy from all the people who have ever walked the earth. The worthy or sinless will be given eternal life in heaven, while those who were wicked will be damned for all eternity. Eschatology from a monotheistic point of view usually includes the tradition of the earth truly being destroyed and the presence of the divine on earth to bring the righteous to heaven, thus escaping God’s wrath.
From a spiritual point of view, a person studying the eschatology of monotheistic religions might actually try to pinpoint the specific date of the end of the world, and many Christian sects have done this in the past. They will often point to what appear to be signs that the depravity of humans is getting worse, thus the “day of doomsday” is coming.
Hindu eschatology differs significantly from Judeo/Christian/Islamic beliefs. Since all life is considered cyclical, there are no “last days” for most Hindus. Instead the world goes through periods of great depravity, and is then restored to righteousness by the appearance of an avatar or Supreme Being. The avatar’s goal is to purify the minds of the people who inhabit the earth so that goodness and purity are restored.
Philosophical eschatology can take many forms. Some people who are not overtly religious or spiritual see the world as spiraling out of control and leading to an eventual collapse of civilization, where most humans will perish. Indeed, for many the concept of eschatology centered during the Cold War years on Judgment Day which would occur during a nuclear war. Today, some argue that the end of the world is imminent, and things like global warming, depleting the environment, and over-reliance on science are characteristics that predict an eventual end for human beings.
Science fiction often deals with eschatological themes to imagine the “end of the world” or “the end of civilization. Eschatological theory in science fiction often deals with the total collapse of society as in films like Terminator 3: Judgment Day or The Matrix. In written works end-of-the-word theories predominate in novels such as Brave New World, The Stand, and 1984. In science fiction, eschatology tends to focus on the end of civilization through the overuse of technology or through cataclysmic events that impoverish the world of most part of its population.
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