Original Research
Restriction of burial rites during the COVID-19 pandemic: An African liturgical and missional challenge
Submitted: 18 April 2021 | Published: 27 August 2021
About the author(s)
Hundzukani P. Khosa-Nkatini, Unit for Reformational Theology and Development of South African Society, Faculty of Theology, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaPeter White, Department of Practical Theology and Missiology, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Abstract
Burial rites are very common among many Africa communities. In the African context, burials are not the end of life but rather the beginning of another life in the land of the ancestors. In spite of the importance of the African funeral rites, the missional role of the church in mourning and the burial of the dead in the African communities, the COVID-19 pandemic led protocols and restrictions placed a huge challenge on the African religious and cultural practices.
Contribution: In the light of the above-named challenges, the article discusses the religious-cultural effect of the pandemic with special focus on the African liturgical and missiological challenges in the context of the COVID-19 restrictions on funerals and burial rites.
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Crossref Citations
1. “With the Pandemic Still Raging, I am Blessed to Do My Part to Defeat it”: Exploring COVID-19 Jewish Liturgy and Prayers in Israel and the United States
Elazar Ben-Lulu
Journal of Religion and Health year: 2024
doi: 10.1007/s10943-024-02190-6