As hypothetical ideas concerning future events, expectations of the future help guide actions and are formulated in ways that depend on concepts of time.
1. Eschatology
The concept of time on which widespread future expectation was based until well into the 17th century related to God and was rooted in the Christian mindscape of the Middle Ages. Future events appeared prefigured by the past and guided by divine providence. Until well into the 16th century, the history of Christendom was dominate…