“Pandemic Theology”
My book, “Pandemic Theology: Listen, Lament & Labor” is the result of a two year journey, interviewing doctors, nurses, chaplains and other healthcare professionals to capture the theological, religious and spiritual themes that emerged from their experience while working within a COVID unit. While many expressed the positive impact faith, religion and Christian voices had on their experience of both coping with and working within this unique time in our history, this was not always the case. Many others expressed how certain religious voices and concepts not only seemed to compound the stress they were experiencing, they also appeared to obstruct and work against the containment of a contagion they were fighting against.
As a backdrop to these interviews, a brief historical survey of Christian voices and responses to pandemics, plagues and epidemics is provided to help the reader reflect more deeply upon our most recent experience. As we survey those religious voices from the Early Church period to our present day, we will hear voices we might seek to embrace and others we might do well to avoid. WIth this historical survey we see how Christian leaders addressed issues that were very similar to our own, issues of: government shut-downs, mandates, conspiracy theories, stories of "fake news," disbelief of the seriousness of a particular disease or virus due to religious beliefs, the suspending of worship services, concerns of medical ethics, putting people into categories of essential and non-essential workers, the role of faith in matters of public health and many others.
At the heart of Pandemic Theology: Listen, Lament & Labor is to help assist the reader to think deeply through the theological questions of: "How is a Christian to respond during times of a mass suffering? Are there already standing, historically rooted, theologically based responses and protocols for how the Christian is to respond during times such as this? How great of a role does ministry to the sick play in our present religious lives? How do concepts of sin and the judgement or wrath of God relate to times such as this? What is the pastoral care task during times of suffering? What can the church learn from the voices of healthcare professionals that stepped into those sacred spaces in care for others? What areas of present theological understanding and practice does the church need to grow in, as it relates to sickness, suffering, death and dying?
Pandemic Theology: Listen, Lament & Labor provides the practitioner of both faith and medicine alike a roadmap and model to follow to help advance compassionate care in the contexts of both widespread suffering, as well as at the bedside of a suffering friend.
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