A Public Theological Reflection on Biblical Antecedents of Protocols for Managing Pandemics

This article is a public theological discourse, arguing that the protocols, such as handwashing, social distancing, and face-covering, used to halt the spread of COVID-19, have biblical antecedents. Some observers contend that church leaders failed to inspire biblical hope, faith and courage when th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Amissah, Patrick Kofi (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2024
In: International journal of public theology
Year: 2024, Volume: 18, Issue: 1, Pages: 5-28
IxTheo Classification:CB Christian life; spirituality
CH Christianity and Society
FA Theology
HB Old Testament
KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history
Further subjects:B preventive protocols
B Biblical antecedents
B Covid-19
B Leviticus 13
B Exodus 30:17–21
B Hope
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Summary:This article is a public theological discourse, arguing that the protocols, such as handwashing, social distancing, and face-covering, used to halt the spread of COVID-19, have biblical antecedents. Some observers contend that church leaders failed to inspire biblical hope, faith and courage when they focused on promoting the preventive protocols. It can be argued that promoting these protocols was a means of promoting biblical hope, faith, and courage in the face of the pandemic. In the Hebrew Bible, priests were commanded to wash their hands and feet before going into the tent of meeting. Isolation or quarantine was imposed on anyone with a suspected skin disease until examinations confirmed the disease or otherwise. Though these protocols were mostly for religious ceremonial and ritualistic purposes, they might have helped to halt the spread of infectious diseases. The article thus provides an exegesis of Exodus 30:17–21 and Leviticus 13:1–8, 45–46.
ISSN:1569-7320
Contains:Enthalten in: International journal of public theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15697320-20240113