Includes bibliographical references (pages 181-196)

Introduction: the why and what of the doctrine of the last things? -- For what can we hope in a meaningless cosmos? -- What do the sciences say about the future of life and the cosmos? -- What does Islam envision about the "End"? -- What is the appeal of the catastrophic end of the world (apocalypticism)? -- Why care for the environment when the End of all things is at hand? -- Why care about justice and poverty when the End of all things is at hand? -- What happens to us after death? -- How should we envision the final consummation--of ourselves and of the whole world? -- Epilogue: "In the end--the beginning"

This book proposes a bold vision of the "end" of human life and the cosmos based on the hopeful vision of Christian faith. In a dialogue with the best of Christian tradition, the natural sciences' conjectures of the "end," as well as Islam's rich teaching on the doctrine of the Last Things, a fresh constructive eschatology is recommended. While based on wide and deep academic learning, the conversational style of the book makes it suitable for various kinds of audiences, from pastors, to students, to scholars, and to interested lay folks.