The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Lockdown Protocols of Social Distancing: Insights into the Church’s Role during Bereavements in Zimbabwe
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Authors
Bowa, Makomborero Allen
Issue Date
2024
Type
Journal Article
Language
Keywords
Covid-19 Pandemic , Social Distancing , Grieving and Bereaved Families , Christian Churches , Zimbabwe
Alternative Title
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown protocols of social distancing disrupted mourning and grieving processes across the African landscape forcing the Church to devise mechanisms to ensure that it remained contextually relevant in this highly restrictive environment. This disruption plunged Christian communities, and bereaving families into a state of cognitive dissonance. Christian communities in Southern African countries such as Zimbabwe faced serious challenges relating to the effective execution of the important role of supporting and consoling the bereaved. This paper reflects on the efforts and strategies that most Christian communities adopted to support bereaved families through engaging Old Testament texts that shed light on social distancing and quarantining. It sheds light on how Christian communities demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the wake of the highly disruptive environment created by the pandemic through the use of social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook and other digital communication platforms such as Zoom, television, and radio.
Description
Citation
Publisher
Rabbi Myer and Dorothy Kripke Center, Creighton University
License
The journal is open-access and freely allows users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of all published material for personal or academic purposes.
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1522-5658