Original Research - Special Collection: COVID-19 from a Theological Perspective

Quarantäne, Einsamkeit und Psalmen

Till M. Steiner
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 76, No 1 | a6179 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.6179 | © 2020 Till M. Steiner | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 01 June 2020 | Published: 07 October 2020

About the author(s)

Till M. Steiner, Department of Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Quarantine, loneliness and psalms: In times of a pandemic, quarantine and physical distance are acts of charity. Leviticus 13–14 show that even in biblical times such measures served to protect the community. But they also lead to the danger of loneliness or even depression. Physical distance must not become social distance. For believers, the Psalms can be a way of bringing the distress before the punishing and healing God. They are a proven way out of the lament to rejoice in the relationship with God. But this change of mood is not an automatism, but a prayer process in the hope of God.

Contribution: A theological perspective on Covid-19 is given by bringing the current experiences of quarantine and loneliness in times of pandemic into dialogue with biblical texts.


Keywords

Psalms; Leviticus; Quarantine; Loneliness; Changing of mood; Ritual, Depression; impurity

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