Eschatology and Social Engagement: How End-Time Beliefs Shape Community Action Among Evangelical Christians in Kano State

This study investigates how eschatological beliefs, specifically views about the end times, the return of Christ, and the ultimate fate of the world, shape the social engagement behaviours of evangelical Christians in Kano State, North West Nigeria. Eschatology has historically functioned as either a catalyst for or a deterrent to Christian social engagement, and this tension is acutely relevant in Kano, where Christians constitute a minority community navigating complex interfaith dynamics while facing significant social needs. Using a mixed-methods design, data are collected from 220 evangelical church members across eight churches in Kano Municipal, Fagge, and Gwale Local Government Areas. Quantitative questionnaires measure eschatological belief types and social engagement behaviours, while qualitative interviews explore how respondents articulate the connection between their theological beliefs and their public actions. Regression analysis identifies the significant predictors of social engagement from among several eschatological variables. Findings indicate that premillennialist dispensationalism, the dominant eschatological position in Kano's evangelical churches, correlates negatively with long-term community investment. Kingdom now theologies and transformationist frameworks, though less common, are positively associated with sustained social action. The study recommends greater integration of transformationist eschatology into evangelical theological education in northern Nigeria and calls on missiologists to address the social disengagement consequences of dominant premillennialist frameworks. Keywords: eschatology, social engagement, evangelical Christians, Kano State, transformationist theology