The study of Christian eschatology has been an on-going process for centuries. Eschatology, or the study of last things, has both intrigued and astonished theologians and Christians across the world. The common conception for Christians is that life continues after death, where the soul of the deceased walks among fields and beings of beauty, a true enjoyment in the after-life. They believe that here they will meet the Almighty God, and it is here that the decision is made between heaven and hell. Scientists agree that one-day the existing universe will end, either by collapse or decay. With humans using the once considered "abundant" resources such as oil and various metals within the Earth, many Christians are becoming alarmed that the end maybe near. Scientists believe, however, that the Earth still has millions if not billions of years left.
With this in mind, a common notion is that because an apocalyptic event will not happen in our lifetime, why should we be concerned with what resources we use? Nevertheless, eschatology and the end of the world is becoming a widely studied subject. With books being published worldwide, people can gain a better understanding for what eschatology means and how they can be affected by it. One may gain more insight by looking at some of these books, such as John Galvin's "Faith and Future"; "The God of Hope and the End of the World", written by John Polkinghorne; O.F.M. Zachary Hayes's "Visions of a Future"; excerpts from Craig Evans and Peter Flint's "Eschatology, Messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls" and Lisa McMinn's "Y2K, The Apocalypse, and Evangical Christianity".
John Galvin's "Faith and Future" analyzes three different interpretations of eschatology from a symposium given t ...