In this article, a brief survey of some of the ways in which biblical scholars try to make sense of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is offered. The views of the following scholars are discussed: Walter Brueggemann, Ying Zhang, John Goldingay and Kathleen Scott Goldingay, N.T. Wright, Philemon M. Chamburuka and Ishanesu S. Gusha, and Peter Lampe. This is followed by the reflections of a biblical scholar and a systematic theologian. From the perspective of a biblical scholar, the following issues are raised: the richness of biblical traditions, the influence of social location on the interpretation of the pandemic in the light of the Bible, the importance of the emphasis on lament, the reluctance to interpret the pandemic as a punishment from God, the importance of the interpreter’s view of God and the emphasis on the way in which the ‘new normal’ should be approached. From the perspective of a systematic theologian the following issues are discussed: The nature of doing theology, the role of the symbol of the Divine, performativity of sense-making, the Trinitarian confession, an emerging new self and the importance of an ethic of responsibility. Contribution: The article is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasises the critical importance of engaging the Christian scripture. The role accorded to hermeneutics and to an explicit interdisciplinary conversation makes a particular contribution to the emerging crisis discourse.

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Making sense of the covid-19 pandemic from the bible – some perspectives

This article explores the concept of suffering as experienced by Filipinos during the COVID-19 pandemic. It draws inspiration from their narratives about how they faced, managed, and struggled during this tragic event. Their experiences were interpreted and analyzed concerning Filipino culture and tradition using a modified form of thematic analysis. Findings revealed three contextualized themes: sakit (pain), pighati (grief), and pag-asa (hope). These themes are then discussed in the light of John Paul II's Salvifici Doloris. A meaningful pastoral reflection on the basic realities of suffering is formulated to clarify our understanding of such a crisis.

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Sákit Pighati and Pag-asa: A Pastoral Reflection on Suffering During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines.

This article examines the views of 12 bishops of the Church of England in understanding the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of divine action. The most consistently mentioned unhelpful narratives hinge on an understanding of the pandemic as an act of God. Although there are several possible contextual explanations for this resistance to understand the pandemic as divine action, an analysis of the data shows that it is grounded in a desire to maintain (1) a space for the pandemic, the suffering, and the virus that caused it to be understood as part of creation and (2) focus on human agency and responsibility as the appropriate response to the pandemic. I argue that the strong resistance among the bishops interviewed to a narrative of divine punishment in particular is ultimately grounded in a desire to disable the blunt but effective tool of making moral judgments in the name of divine authority that regularly follow in the wake of global disasters.

Resistance to narratives of the covid-19 pandemic as an act of god

After conducting a literature search, the purpose of this article has emerged. The essential elements of a homiletical praxis, interested in dealing with the gospel, are related to the concrete circumstances of listeners. Consequently, the feelings of angst or nothingness that listeners experience in a post-pandemic world are now integrated into the reflection of a homiletical praxis. A homiletical praxis should not fall into the trap of trying to discern the signs of the times in a one-sided manner and an over-simplifying way, but should rather help listeners to understand the essence of hope. The dimensions of yet and not yet, that enable listeners to understand the idea of hope against hope, could be functional in identifying the objective of this research. The research problem is as follows: What kind of practical theological perspectives could be delineated for a praxeology of preaching to offer insight to listeners experiencing angst and a feeling of nothingness within a post-pandemic world? The problem addressed in this article inevitably takes cognisance of the listeners’ experiences of reality caused by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A profound quest for a homiletical praxis in which life is central has also emerged in the research. Eventually, this research indicates the contours for a praxis that views preaching with clairvoyant eyes for listeners’ concrete experiences. I discovered that preaching offers the opportunity to approach disorienting dilemmas that evoke intriguing self-reflection to answer the question: Where do we go from here? A homiletical praxeology, therefore, also has to deal with the experiences of listeners. To address this research question, the notion of critical correlation offers a methodological framework for operating within. It allows the researcher to set up a dialogue between questions related to the homiletical praxis on the one hand, and perspectives that come forth in reflecting the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic on the other. A second phase involves providing a theological perspective on God who can perform new deeds amidst the unusual. Deliberating on this will pave the way for a homiletical theory at the end of the article. Contribution: This article aims to engage with the basic tenet of preaching, viewed from a Reformational paradigm and wants to contribute towards a better understanding of a homiletical praxeology within a post-pandemic world.

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Practical theological perspectives on preaching to listeners experiencing angst or nothingness within the present reality of a post-pandemic world

Pandemics are not only a reality in human history; similar cases are also recorded in biblical texts like Numbers 16:41-50 and are still happening today, as in the case of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This article affirms that pandemics are either a creation of humanity and/or a creation of God, as is the case in Numbers 16:41-50. It became clear in this article that humanity either struggles to breathe or breathe through the wound ( siphefumula ngenxeba ) when pandemics strike or when God uses pandemics to punish humanity for their rebellion, as is the case in Numbers 16:41-50. A missional reading of Numbers 16:41-50 defines life and ministry in the context of pandemics as standing in the gap—between the angry God and rebellious people of God, and between the living and the dead in the efforts to mediate life over judgement.

Siphefumula ngenxeba Rethinking a transformative missional ecclesiology as standing in the gap in the context of pandemics like COVID-19 and GBV

Genesis, Exodus, Ruth, Samuel-Kings and Chronicles include a number of stories about epidemic and famine that may resource us as we wonder how to think about the Covid-19 pandemic, about how God mi...

Kathleen Scott Goldingay

Papers

Thinking with the Old Testament about the pandemic