In this chapter we aim to ‘think together’ musical process and some major themes in eschatology. Whatever else ‘eschatology’ may mean, it bespeaks a future-directedness in the Christian faith, an orientation towards a fulfilment of the purposes for which God has brought all things into being. Seen from the point of view of salvation, this orientation is intensified, for now it focuses on a resolution of the corruptions and dislocations of the world.

The ground for this chapter has already been laid in chapter 2. There we found that music was characterised by a teleological dynamic, marked by multi-levelled patterns of equilibrium, tension and resolution. Creation–fall–redemption may well come to mind in this connection, a huge metrical wave occasioned by the crises of evil and sin, within which are nested a multitude of smaller waves of divine activity at different levels. In the New Testament, the pattern is probably enshrined most memorably in the so-called parable of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:11–32). It is perhaps not surprising that the kind of music we are considering germinated and grew within a predominantly Christian setting.