ABSTRACT
This is an introductory chapter. It examines the concept of eschatology in its universal prisms of definitions, historical developments, and typologies. The chapter also explores in brief the beliefs and practices of eschatology associated with different world cultures and religious traditions—the major ones being Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and selected Asian religions. The chapter also serves as background to the book’s discussion of the central significance of eschatological beliefs and practices in the African cultural and religious worldviews on the origins and final destinations of humans and the universe in subsequent chapters of the book.
